SCOTLAND

Bell Pottinger Group

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Advocate-General for Scotland has met representatives of (a) Bell Pottinger Group or (b) each of its subsidiaries in the last five years; on what dates any such meetings took place; and what was discussed.

David Mundell: Since his appointment in May 2010 the Advocate-General has not met with representatives of Bell Pottinger Group or its subsidiaries. The Advocate-General's Office do not hold records for the previous Administration.

Bell Pottinger Group

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) political advisers in his Department have met representatives of (i) Bell Pottinger Group or (ii) each of its subsidiaries in the last five years; on what dates any such meetings took place; and what was discussed.

David Mundell: Since May 2010 there have been no meetings between Scotland Office Ministers, officials or political advisers and the Bell Pottinger Group or its subsidiaries. We do not hold records for the previous Administration.

Immigration Controls

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has held with (a) Ministers in the Scottish Government and (b) Scottish police forces regarding the border access checks pilot introduced in summer 2011.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland, the right hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore), and I have regular meetings with our Cabinet colleagues, Members of the Scottish Government and the Scottish police force to discuss matters of Home Office policy as they affect Scotland. The daily operation of the border force is a matter for the UK Border Agency.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Archaeological Sites

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many Roman archaeological sites there are in (a) each region and (b) each nation; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: English Heritage's National Record of the Historic Environment database indicates that English Heritage holds data on over 36,000 Roman archaeological sites in England. These are broken down by region in the following table:
	
		
			 Region Number of Roman sites Percentage 
			 East midlands 4,569 12.6 
			 East of England 5,996 16.5 
			 London 1,039 2.9 
			 North-east 2,831 7.8 
			 North-west 2,817 7.8 
			 South-east 7,158 19.7 
			 South-west 6,361 17.5 
			 West midlands 1,569 4.3 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 3,923 10.8 
			 Total 36,263 100.0

Art Works: England

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many publicly owned works of art are on display in the open air in England; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: In England, no Government Art Collection publicly owned works of art are on display in the open air. This Department does not collate this information for local authority museums or galleries, and to do so would exceed the disproportionate cost limit.
	This Department does not hold this information for its sponsored galleries and museums. Accordingly, I have asked their chief executives to write directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the replies will be deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.

Arts

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of trends in access to the arts and culture (a) nationally and (b) regionally; and what steps he is taking to monitor and identify areas of the country which may be vulnerable to decline in the arts and culture sector;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the performance of the arts and culture sector in (a) the UK and (b) other EU member states; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK arts and culture sector performs as effectively as other EU member states.

Edward Vaizey: This Department's “Taking Part 2011/12 Quarter 1: Statistical Release” provides UK national trends assessment in access to the arts and culture, available at:
	http://www.dcms.gov.uk/publications/8462.aspx
	Additionally, the CASE Regional and Local Insights provides the culture “Physical Asset data” at:
	http://www.dcms.gov.uk/what_we_do/research_and_statistics/7276.aspx
	The “Eurostat Pocketbook on Cultural Statistics 2011” publication comprises a broad set of comparable data related to culture available in the EU-27, EFTA and candidate countries. It describes different aspects of culture: cultural heritage, cultural employment, enterprises in certain cultural sectors, external trade in cultural goods, households' cultural expenditure, and cultural practices. This is available at:
	http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-32-10-374/EN/KS-32-10-374-EN.PDF
	The recently published Arts Council England Plan sets out the principal measures to improve the effectiveness of the arts sector.

Bell Pottinger Group

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) political advisers in his Department have met representatives of (i) Bell Pottinger Group or (ii) each of its subsidiaries in the last five years; on what dates any such meetings took place; and what was discussed.

John Penrose: A list of meetings between both the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), and the Permanent Secretary with ‘outside interest groups’ has been published on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's (DCMS) website, and can be found using the link:
	http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/category/other/meetings/
	According to the information recorded by the Department, I can confirm that neither Ministers nor political advisers in DCMS have met representatives of the Bell Pottinger Group, or any of its subsidiaries since May 2010. We do not hold centrally information relating to ministerial meetings prior to this date.
	The information requested relating to officials for each of the last five years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Creative Industries Council

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his assessment is of the frequency of the current meeting schedule of the Creative Industries Council.

Edward Vaizey: The frequency of meetings of the Creative Industries Council, set at six monthly intervals up to summer 2012, is entirely appropriate and sensible. It allows time for the groups set up by the council on issues such as skills and access to finance to do some solid work and be able to report to the council on their progress.

Creative Industries Council

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to his answers of 7 November 2011, Official Report, column 1051W, on Creative Industries Council, and 7 November 2011, Official Report, columns 84-85W, on arts, at what level his Department has held discussions with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on access to finance for the creative industries; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills ahead of the next Economic Affairs sub-cabinet committee.

Edward Vaizey: The time-limited working groups set up by the council, including the one on access to finance capital, are led by industry, and supported by officials from both my Department and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The officials therefore meet on a regular basis to discuss how they can work closely together to ensure that the groups can do their work effectively. There have not been specific discussions with the Secretary of State on this subject before the next Economic Affairs Cabinet sub-Committee.

Cultural Heritage

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will make an assessment of the contribution of heritage sites in (a) the South West, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales to the national economy; and what arrangements are in place to monitor the performance of the tourist economy for those areas.

Edward Vaizey: English Heritage estimates its sites in the South West, not including Stonehenge, contribute around £2.9 million to the economy. Stonehenge is anticipated to contribute £8.4 million in 2011-12. These figures are for revenue generated and do not reflect the costs incurred in caring for and opening the sites to the public.
	VisitBritain and VisitEngland maintain regular inbound and domestic data, based on the International Passenger Survey and the Great Britain Tourism Survey.
	Tourism and heritage are devolved matters and it is therefore appropriate for the Scottish and Welsh governments to respond.

Design: Costs

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on design in respect of (a) logos, (b) buildings, (c) advertising, (d) stationery and (e) campaigns in the last year for which figures are available.

John Penrose: The amount the Department for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport has spent on design, in the financial year 2010-11 are set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Spend on design, 2010-11 
			 Area of spend on design £ 
			 (a) Logos 5,824.20 
			 (b) Buildings 0 
			 (c) Advertising 5,400.00 
			 (d) Stationery 0 
			 (e) Campaigns 51,484.00

Grant Funding

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the level of funding provided by his Department to organisations based (a) in and (b) outside London.

John Penrose: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport provides an annual breakdown of its funding and how that funding is distributed by region throughout the UK through its contribution to the Country and Regional Analysis (CRA). The CRA is compiled and published through HM Treasury on their website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pespb_natstats_oct2011.htm
	Within this analysis London is treated as a distinct region.

English Heritage

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding he has allocated to the (a) Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England and (b) English Heritage in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13, (iv) 2013-14 and (v) 2014-15; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The hon. Gentleman's researchers will find figures from grant in aid to the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, also known as English Heritage, at the following link:
	http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/
	Updates will be published periodically in the same location.

Freeview Service

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what representations his Department has received on channel allocation on the Freeview platform; and if he will place any representations in the Library.

Edward Vaizey: The Department has received a number of representations about the allocation of channels across all platforms, including Freeview. These have mainly been in response to the consultation on the Government's Local TV proposals and in response to the Department's 'open letter' as part of the Communications Review. Consistent with the Government's code of practice on consultations, responses to the open letter and local TV proposals will be published on the Department's website shortly.

Internet Governance Forum: Security

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department plans any specific measures relating to security issues for (a) intellectual property and (b) other theft within the UK Internet Governance Forum.

Edward Vaizey: We have no plans to table these issues for discussion in this forum. The next meeting of the UK Internet Governance Forum (UK IGF) will be held on 22 March 2012. Nominet (as the co-ordinator of the UK IGF) invites stakeholders to propose, and lead on, specific issues of concern to them, in particular those issues which are expected to feature in the programme of the global Internet Governance Forum which will be held in Baku in the autumn of 2012.

Museums and Galleries: Schools

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will make an assessment of the level of access of school children from maintained schools to theatres, galleries, museums and heritage sites in (a) each region, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland; and what steps he is taking to promote such access.

Edward Vaizey: The Department’s Taking Part Survey 2010-11 is a large national survey of children aged five to 15 and adults aged 16+, which assesses participation in culture across England. Data are not currently available by type of school, and to collate regional data would incur disproportionate cost.
	In 2010-11, 98% of children had accessed the arts, with 44% of five to 10-year-olds, and 67% of 11 to 15-year-olds attending theatres. 65% had visited museums and galleries and 72% had visited a heritage site in the last 12 months. The latest child engagement findings can be found at:
	http://www.dcms.gov.uk/publications/8398.aspx
	From next April, Arts Council England (ACE) will be investing £10 million into a network of new Bridge Organisations to connect arts organisations and schools and help improve the overall delivery of arts opportunities for children. Their 10-year strategic framework “Achieving great art for everyone” commits to ensuring every child and young person has the opportunity to experience the richness of the arts. ACE’s Renaissance programme aims to increase access for children and young people to renaissance museums. The number of visits by children in 2010-11, had more than doubled from 2,533,464 in 2002-03 to 5,173,695.
	This Department’s Sponsored Museums’ “Performance Indicators 2010-11” include the number of educational visits made and is available at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/research_and_statistics/8609.aspx
	English Heritage’s education team send regular e-newsletters to all state schools within England encouraging them to visit and learn at its properties. They also publish the magazine “Heritage Learning”, which is aimed at supporting teachers, and hold a teachers’ forum. Every effort is made to ensure that all schools are aware of English Heritage’s “Learners Go Free” message.
	Culture is a devolved matter in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and it is therefore appropriate for their Governments to respond.

News International

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what meetings (a) special advisers and (b) officials in his Department have had with representatives of News International; and whether the BBC licence fee settlement was discussed at any such meeting.

Edward Vaizey: Details of special advisers' meetings with newspaper and other media proprietors, editors and senior executives will be published on a quarterly basis with effect from the period July to September 2011. Prior to this, and according to the information recorded by the Department, I can confirm that no meetings took place solely with News International staff and DCMS' special advisers. News International staff may have been present at meetings between News Corporation and the Department's (a) special advisers and (b) officials when discussing News Corporation's proposed acquisition of the remaining shares in BSkyB.
	Minutes of meetings when the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), was present are available on the Department's website, and can be found using the link:
	http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/category/other/meetings/
	Details of civil servants meetings are otherwise not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	We are clear that at no time was the BBC licence fee settlement discussed in any of these meetings.

Ofcom

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what powers Ofcom has under the Communications Act 2003 to regulate DTT Multiplex Operators Ltd; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The matter raised is an operational one for the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Ofcom have advised:
	“DTT Multiplex Operators Limited does not currently hold a broadcasting licence. Certain of its activities involve the organisation of channel numbering for DTT Electronic Programme Guides. In so far as those activities are carried out on behalf of DTT Multiplex Operators, any regulatory issues would require consideration under the relevant multiplex licences. Pursuant to the Communications Act its activities are also subject to Ofcom's concurrent competition law powers under the Competition Act 1998.”

Royal Parks

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with his (a) Brazilian, (b) Chinese, (c) Indian, (d) Russian and (e) European counterparts on collaboration with the Royal Parks; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: Neither the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), nor I have taken part in any such discussions.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Bell Pottinger Group

John Mann: To ask the Leader of the House whether (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) political advisers in his office have met representatives of (i) Bell Pottinger Group or (ii) each of its subsidiaries in the last five years; on what dates any such meetings took place; and what was discussed.

George Young: Details of Cabinet Office Ministers' and permanent secretaries' meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis and can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-external-organisations
	and
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/cabinet-office-permanent-secretaries%E2%80%99-meetings-external-organisations
	Further detailed information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Duchy of Cornwall

Andrew George: To ask the Leader of the House what the constitutional position of the Duchy of Cornwall is in respect of legislation before the House.

George Young: It is a long-established convention that where Bills are due to affect the Crown formal prior consent is sought from the Queen for the way in which that Bill will affect the Crown. By convention, when there is a Duke of Cornwall of age, similar formal consent is sought from the Duke of Cornwall. Parliamentary procedure in both Houses requires Queen's consent to be given to a Bill if it affects the Royal prerogative or the interests (hereditary revenues, personal property or other interests) of the Crown, the Duchy of Lancaster or the Duchy of Cornwall. In the case of the Duchy of Cornwall, the consent is needed because of the Sovereign's reversionary interest in the Duchy; and currently, while there is a Duke of Cornwall of full age, it falls to be given by the Prince of Wales. Although the Prince of Wales' consent is expressed to the Bill itself, it relates only to the aspects of it that affect the interests of the Duchy.

Legislation: Parliamentary Scrutiny

David Hamilton: To ask the Leader of the House what plans he has to utilise the expertise of Select Committees in the scrutiny of (a) primary and (b) secondary legislation.

George Young: The Government recognises the value that pre-legislative scrutiny can add, and are committed to seeing more measures published in draft for scrutiny by Select or Joint Committees.
	Except when there is specific provision in Standing Orders, it is for Select Committees themselves to decide whether they wish to examine and report on primary and secondary legislation. The Government are currently considering arrangements for scrutiny of certain draft orders under the Public Bodies Bill [Lords] and the Localism Bill and will bring forward proposals in due course.

Private Members’ Bills

David Hamilton: To ask the Leader of the House what recent representations he has received relating to the procedures used for Private Members' legislation.

George Young: I have received a range of representations on the House's procedures in respect of Private Members' Bills, including from hon. and right hon. Members during business questions and during the debate on 30 March 2011 on Private Members' days in the current Session.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Food: Hygiene

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to improve (a) the delivery of food to supermarkets and (b) other food resilience mechanisms.

James Paice: The UK has a highly effective food supply chain, providing wide consumer choice. The food industry has robust and resilient business continuity plans against disruption from threats or natural hazards. DEFRA works closely with all parts of the industry and other Departments to ensure that Government provide appropriate support to the sector if required.

Food: Prices

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on food prices support for British food manufacturing.

James Paice: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), has had discussions with BIS in the normal course of business as part of the Government's growth review, and we continue to work with BIS and UKTI to help boost growth in the food sector. The Secretary of State has also recently chaired a round table with a wide range of food industry stakeholders to look at how the Government can help the food and drink sector to grow. Additionally, we continue to work, in the UK and internationally, to promote open global markets, boost trade and ensure a growing population is fed in a way that reduces environmental impacts and supports an environmentally sustainable food sector. The impact of rising food prices are a concern for the Government. While it is not the Government's role to control, or intervene in support of food prices, we know that export bans, stock levels, energy prices and damaged harvests do affect prices, so these are things the Government are keen to address.

Honey: EU Law

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will estimate the potential cost to producers of honey in the UK of a requirement to re-label and test all honey products as a result of the European Court of Justice ruling that pollen should be listed as an ingredient of honey; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the number of honey suppliers and beekeepers who may go out of business as a result of the European Court of Justice ruling that pollen should be listed as an ingredient of honey; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what steps she plans to take to protect beekeepers following the European Court of Justice ruling that pollen should be listed as an ingredient of honey; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: This matter is being discussed at EU level. We are arguing that beekeepers and the honey industry should not be faced with unreasonable costs because of the ruling made by the Court, and want the European Commission to propose a pragmatic solution. DEFRA and the Food Standards Agency are working together on this, and to help make the case for action the UK honey sector has recently been asked for evidence on the potential effects of the ruling.

Poultry: Animal Welfare

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will make it her policy to ban the import of processed eggs incorporated into a food product where the eggs are from hens housed in conventional battery cages that do not comply with the provisions of EU directive 1999/74/EC in other EU member states from 1 January 2012;
	(2)  if she will make it her policy to ban the import of egg products derived from hens housed in conventional battery cages that do not comply with the provisions of EU directive 1999/74/EC in other EU member states from 1 January 2012.

James Paice: The Commission is actively working on a practical enforcement solution and the Government will be contributing to ensure that any solution is as tight as possible, to protect our producers.
	We are in the process of developing an enforcement strategy which will consider all viable options to protect compliant producers. We are also considering other measures we could introduce swiftly should the Commission fail to find a robust enforcement approach.

Ragwort: Poisoning

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of ragwort poisoning have been reported in each of the last five years.

James Paice: The Weeds Act 1959 allows the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to take statutory action to control the spread of injurious weeds such as common ragwort. However, DEFRA does not hold figures on the number of animals suffering from ragwort poisoning.

PRIME MINISTER

Brazil: UN Conference on Environment and Development

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to attend the Rio Earth summit in 2012.

David Cameron: UK representation at the Rio Earth summit 2012 has yet to be fully decided. I can confirm that the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), will attend.

Dangerous Dogs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on dangerous dogs since May 2010.

David Cameron: I have discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a range of subjects. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Katy Clark) on 2 November 2011, Official Report, column 921.

Members: Surveillance

Karl McCartney: To ask the Prime Minister what recent assessment he has made of the operation of the Wilson doctrine.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (Jonathan Edwards) on 24 January 2011, Official Report, column 35W.

Written Questions

Frank Field: To ask the Prime Minister whether it is his policy to sign off draft answers to written parliamentary questions tabled to him.

David Cameron: Yes.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experiments: Imports

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the location is of each breeding centre overseas which supplies non-human primates to the UK for the purpose of scientific research.

Lynne Featherstone: The overseas breeding centres that have supplied non-human primates to the UK for the purpose of scientific research during the past two years are located in China, Mauritius and Vietnam.

Antisocial Behaviour: Internet

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what steps she plans to take to deal with antisocial behaviour and actions on the internet;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the adequacy of laws to deal with antisocial actions and behaviour on the internet.

James Brokenshire: We have been clear that tackling antisocial behaviour, and protecting vulnerable victims, should be core business for the police and their local partners. That should be the case whether the behaviour in question takes place online or offline.
	A number of the current powers to tackle antisocial behaviour can be used to address both online and offline activity. The Government have consulted on proposals to give the police and their partner a set of streamlined, speedier, more effective powers, and I would envisage that they could be applied to antisocial behaviour online where appropriate.

Asylum

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unsuccessful asylum seekers deported from the UK were refused entry on arrival at the country of their origin and subsequently returned to the UK in each of the last 24 months.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency does not record this information on the Case Information Database (CID). To obtain this information would require a case by case search.

Domestic Violence: Immigrants

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 11 October 2011, Official Report, column 330W, on domestic violence: immigrants, what steps she plans to take to protect victims of domestic violence who have no recourse to public funds and have not been successful in their application for indefinite leave to remain.

Damian Green: The answer of 11 October 2001, Official Report, column 330W, confirmed that support is currently provided through the Sojourner project to victims of domestic violence who have no recourse to public funds to enable access to a refuge for a limited period while an application for leave for indefinite leave to remain as a victim of domestic violence is considered by the UK Border Agency. From April 2012, those currently eligible for Sojourner support will be given a short period of leave to enable them to access welfare benefits while their claim for indefinite leave is made and considered.
	The support will continue to be limited to those who have entered the UK as a spouse, civil partner, un-married or same-sex partner of a British citizen or a person present and settled in the UK, and who are able to demonstrate that their relationship was caused to permanently break down as a result of domestic violence. There are no plans to extend support to those whose claim to be a victim of domestic violence is ultimately not upheld.

Capabilities Programme

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many full-time equivalent staff work on the (a) chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear resilience and (b) mass fatalities workstream of the Capabilities Programme; and what the staffing level was in each of the last 10 quarters;
	(2)  who the lead Minister in her Department is for the (a) chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear resilience and (b) mass fatalities workstream of the Capabilities Programme;
	(3)  what the budget was for the (a) chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear resilience and (b) mass fatalities workstream of the Capabilities Programme in each year since 2005; and what the budget will be during the comprehensive spending review period.

James Brokenshire: Ministerial responsibility in the Home Office regarding these two workstreams is split across two portfolios. I am responsible for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear resilience (CBRN) while the Minister of State for Crime Prevention and Antisocial Behaviour, my noble Friend Lord Henley, is responsible for mass fatality incidents.
	The Home Department does not break down the counter-terrorism budget beyond what is already published for reasons of national security. It has been the policy of successive Governments not to reveal these details. You will also be aware that the CBRN resilience workstream goes wider than just the Home Office contribution.
	Locally collated management information, which may be subject to change, indicates that full-time equivalent staff over the past 10 quarters for CBRN was as follows:
	
		
			  Quarter Full-time equivalent staff 
			 2009 Q2 28 
			 2009 Q3 27 
			 2010 Q4 27 
			 2010 Q1 25 
			 2010 Q2 25 
			 2010 Q3 23 
			 2011 Q4 25 
			 2011 Q1 21 
			 2011 Q2 24 
			 2011 Q3 19 
		
	
	The public order unit mass fatalities budget from 2007-08 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			 2007-08 1,500,000 
			 2008-09 1,500,000 
			 2009-10 1,500,000 
			 2010-11 1,685,293 
			 2011-12 1,606,280 
		
	
	The provisional budget for the public order unit mass fatalities workstream for 2012-13 is £1,464,000 and for 2013-14 it is £1,604,000. These figures have not been signed off and are provisional indications of the budget for this workstream.
	In each of the last 10 quarters there have been three full-time equivalent staff working in the mass fatalities team in the Home Office’s public order unit.

Entry Clearances

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to require a health insurance certificate to be submitted with a visa application.

Damian Green: The Government announced their intention to conduct a further review of migrants' access to the NHS on 18 March. The Department of Health will consider whether to introduce a requirement for health insurance tied to visas as part of this review.

EU Law

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many EU directives are pending transposition into domestic legislation by her Department.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office has three EU directives pending transposition into UK domestic legislation. These are:
	Directive 2011/36/EU—Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims, and replacing Council Framework Decision 2002/629/JHA;
	Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes;
	Directive 2008/51/EC amending Council Directive 91/477/EEC on control of the acquisition and possession of weapons (only insofar as it relates to the amended Article 4. The Directive as a whole has been transposed.)

Financial Services

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether (a) she and (b) her officials have had discussions with (i) the Bishop of London and (ii) the authorities of St Paul's Cathedral on the Occupy London Stock Exchange protest; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 8 November 2011
	Ministers and officials have received regular updates on the Occupy London Stock Exchange protest. This has included discussions with the cathedral authorities, the City of London Corporation and the police.

Firearms: Licensing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to curb the flow to criminal gangs of ammunition for illegal firearms.

James Brokenshire: The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) works with partners in the UK, including the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS) and the UK Border Agency, and in Europe to reduce the possession and use of firearms by organised criminals and by street gangs involved with the drugs trade. Strong international links enable SOCA to prevent the criminal importation of firearms and ammunition, and together with SOCA's collaborative operational activity in the UK reduces the availability and use of firearms on streets in the UK.

Illegal Immigrants

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Iraqi nationals who have no legal basis to remain the UK have been removed to Iraq in each month since May 2010; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The following table shows the total number of removals and voluntarily departures of Iraqi nationals from the UK to Iraq in each month from May 2010 to June 2011.
	
		
			 Monthly total removals and voluntary departures (1) , nationals of Iraq to Iraq (2)  May 2010 to June 2011 (3) 
			  Number of departures 
			 May 2010 13 
			 June 2010 69 
			 July 2010 22 
			 August 2010 36 
			 September 2010 94 
			 October 2010 66 
			 November 2010 26 
			 December 2010 22 
			 January 2011 19 
			 February 2011 39 
			 March 2011 46 
			 April 2011 15 
			 May 2011 8 
			 June 2011 26 
			 (1) Includes enforced removals, persons departing voluntarily after notifying the UK Border Agency of their intention to leave prior to their departure, persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by Refugee Action from April 2011 (previously run by the International Organisation for Migration) and persons who it has been established left the UK without informing the immigration authorities. (2) Destination as recorded on source database. (3) Provisional figures. Figures will under record due to data cleansing and data matching exercises that take place after the extracts are taken. 
		
	
	The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the number of persons removed or departed voluntarily from the UK within ‘Immigration Statistics’. The data on removals and voluntary departures are available in tables rv.01 to rv.08 from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Science, research and statistics web pages at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/science-research/research-statistics/migration/migration-statistics1/
	Quarterly data for July to September 2011 will be published as part of the regular Home Office publication scheme on 24 November.

Illegal Immigrants: Employment

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure businesses are aware of the penalties for employing illegal immigrants.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency (UKBA) works closely with other Government partners, such as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), and trade bodies to provide business-to-business communications, targeting employers with enforcement messaging about illegal working operations and civil penalties. For example, during 2010 we completed a large number of employer awareness sessions, working jointly with HMRC, reaching more than 5,700 delegates.
	The Comprehensive Guidance for Employers on preventing illegal working and the shorter Summary Guidance were updated last year and widely publicised. Both documents include clear guidance on the level of civil penalties to be levied on employers found to be employing workers illegally.
	UKBA enforcement teams complete educational visits to employers and the agency works closely with employer organisations to raise awareness of the civil penalty regime.
	National and regional media are regularly used to highlight successful enforcement and immigration crime operations, including details of the penalties faced by employers who break the rules.
	The agency uses online channels to promote operations, publish names of non-compliant employers and provide guidance on preventing illegal working. This information is provided through the UK Border Agency website, social media channels such as Twitter, and partner channels such as Businesslink.gov.uk. and Direct Gov.

Immigration Controls

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed applicants under the Highly-Skilled Migrants programme have subsequently been deported; and what the average cost of completing deportation proceedings against such people was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Damian Green: The Highly-Skilled Migrants programme ran from January 2002 to March 2008. 485 failed applicants to the programme have been removed from the UK.
	The UK Border Agency (UKBA) is unable to provide an average cost of completing deportation proceeding as there are many variables, including:
	whether the person makes a voluntary or supervised departure;
	whether the person has to be detained in order to facilitate their removal;
	whether they have to be escorted;
	whether we have to apply for a travel document for their return;
	whether they are accompanied by dependants, and if so how many;
	the destination to which they are being returned;
	legal challenges.

Immigration: Scotland

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which airports and ports in Scotland participated in the border access check pilot introduced in summer 2011.

Damian Green: The pilot of the risk-based controls included the Scottish airports of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Prestwick.

Knives: Crime

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to remove knives from criminals.

James Brokenshire: The Government have set out a cross-Government plan to tackle gang and youth violence, including knife crime.
	The Government’s position is clear: any adult who commits a crime using a knife can expect to be sent to prison and serious offenders can expect a long sentence. The Legal Aid, Punishment and Sentencing of Offenders Bill currently going through Parliament includes a new offence of carrying a knife or offensive weapon in a public place or school and going on to threaten or endanger another, with a minimum mandatory sentence of six months custody for those over 18 and a four-month detention and training order for those aged 16 and 17.
	The Home Office has already committed £18 million of funding for 2011-13 to support the police, local agencies and the voluntary sector to tackle knife, gun and gang-related violence and prevent youth crime. A further £10 million will be made available to up to 30 areas in 2012-13 to help develop their early intervention response to serious youth violence.
	We are introducing a new offence of carrying a knife or offensive weapon in a public place or school, to threaten or endanger another, with a minimum mandatory sentence of six months custody for those over 18 and a four-month detention and training order for those aged 16 or 17.
	We are implementing the Coalition Agreement commitment that the Government will make hospitals share non-confidential information with the police, so they know where knife (and gun) crime is happening and can target stop-and-search in crime hot spots.

Licensing Act 2003

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on reform of the Licensing Act 2003.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office carried out a major public consultation on proposals to overhaul the Licensing Act 2003 in favour of local communities last year. Over 1,000 responses were received. A detailed analysis of those representations and the Government's response to them was published on 1 December 2010 and is available on the Home Office website on this link:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs/alcohol/rebalancing-consultation/
	The reforms were included in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. We have since received a number of representations on the reforms representing the wide cross-section of interest in alcohol licensing. Ministers and my officials have met, and will continue to meet with, a number of organisations representing those with an interest in alcohol licensing and work to implement the reforms.

Passports

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps she has taken to reduce waiting times for the issue of new passports.

Damian Green: The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) currently asks customers to allow at least six weeks to process applications from adults applying for their first passport, three weeks to process straightforward properly completed applications, and one week for applications submitted using the Fast Track service. IPS also offers a same day Premium service.
	95% of applications for new passports are currently being processed in 10 days, which is well within the IPS published turnaround times.

Theft: Large Goods Vehicles

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the extent of theft of and from HGVs: and what steps her Department is taking to reduce such thefts.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office has made no specific assessment of thefts of and from HGVs. Responsibility for reducing such thefts lies with the police. The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service has a dedicated desk tackling road freight crime through intelligence gathering and dissemination, crime prevention and enforcement activity.

Theft: Retail Trade

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps she has taken to reduce levels of retail theft.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office takes all crimes against businesses seriously and works with a range of organisations and partnerships to tackle retail theft.
	The Home Office works closely with the ACPO Acquisitive Crime Programme Board and its sub-groups to deliver across a range of crime types that affect retailers.
	The Home Office co-chairs the National Retail Crime Steering Group, the national partnership to tackle crimes against retailers. It is delivering a plan focused on crime priorities affecting retailers. This includes strengthening local partnerships between retailers and law enforcement agencies; taking steps to develop safe working and trading environments; supporting designing out crime techniques; and working with the criminal justice system to ensure that effective sanctions and deterrents to retail crime are available.

UK Border Agency: Stress

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of working days lost by UK Border Agency staff was attributed to stress-related conditions in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Damian Green: 0.58% of total working days available to UK Border Agency staff for October 2010 to September 2011 was lost to stress-related conditions. (Stress-related conditions are classed as mental health issues including stress, anxiety and depression).

UK Border Agency: Telephone Services

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many telephone calls the UK Border Agency helpline has received in the last 12 months.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency operates four helplines in the UK. The total number of calls received during the period 1 November 2010 and 31 October 2011 is as follows:
	
		
			 Helpline Number of calls 
			 Customer Contact Centre (Sheffield) 460,606 
			 Immigration Enquiry Bureau 1,549,469 
			 Customer Contact Centre (Liverpool) 807,938 
			 Asylum 58,166 
			 Total calls 2,876,279 
		
	
	The figures provided are based on local management information. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols and should be treated as provisional

WALES

Animal Welfare

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions she has had on the mandate of the National Crime Agency to deal with wildlife crime in Wales.

David Jones: The Wales Office is fully engaged with the Home Office on the development of the National Crime Agency that is expected to be fully operational by December 2013. Wales Office Ministers and officials will feed in issues relating to crime in Wales as part of this process.

Barnett Formula

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many times she has met Treasury Ministers to discuss reform of the Barnett formula since May 2010.

Cheryl Gillan: I have regular discussions with Treasury Ministers on matters relating to Wales. The Government have made clear that their priority is to reduce the deficit, and therefore any change to the Barnett formula must await the stabilisation of the public finances.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether her Department has received any representations expressing concern about the policing of a badger cull in Wales.

David Jones: The Wales Office has received a range of representations on issues related to the eradication of Bovine TB in Wales.
	Animal Health and Welfare is devolved in Wales and policing arrangements of any eradication programme in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Government in conjunction with police forces in Wales.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions she has had with Ministers in the Welsh Government on badger culling using shooting.

David Jones: None. Responsibility for the management of the spread of bovine TB and the method for its control in Wales is devolved to the Welsh Government.

Business Advisory Council

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what advice she has received from members of her Business Advisory Council since May 2010.

Cheryl Gillan: The Wales Office Business Advisory Group provides me with an opportunity to hear directly from members about the issues which are affecting businesses in Wales.
	The group has had discussions on a range of issues that affect Wales including:
	the electrification of the Great Western Main Line;
	enterprise zones;
	the Growth Review and Budget;
	employment;
	energy;
	research and development;
	training; apprenticeships;
	inward investment; and
	policies aimed at fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in Wales.

Business Advisory Council

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions she has had with her Business Advisory Council on support for (a) the construction industry, (b) the creative industries and (c) manufacturing industry in Wales.

Cheryl Gillan: The Wales Office Business Advisory Group discussed, on an informal basis, a range of issues affecting businesses in Wales across a range of sectors including the construction industry, the creative industries and manufacturing.

Commission on Devolution in Wales

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what budget her Department plans to provide for the Commission on Devolution in Wales.

Cheryl Gillan: The budget for the life of the Commission on Devolution in Wales is around £1 million, funded from existing budgets.

Departmental Assets

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assets with a value of £1,000 or more her Department has bought since May 2010; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: None.

Departmental Billing

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the average cost to her Department is of processing the payment of an invoice.

David Jones: The average cost to the Wales Office for processing the payment of an invoice is £4.77.

Design: Costs

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what contracts her Department has awarded for design services since May 2010; and what information her Department holds on the location of such companies.

David Jones: The Wales Office has awarded no design contracts since May 2010.

Design: Costs

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department has spent on design in respect of (a) logos, (b) buildings, (c) advertising, (d) stationery and (e) campaigns in the last year for which figures are available.

David Jones: Nil.

Judicial Review

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what applications for judicial review have been made against her Department (a) in the last Parliament and (b) since May 2010; whether each such application (i) succeeded, (ii) failed and (iii) remains pending; what legal costs were incurred by her Department for each such application; in each failed application whether she applied for costs against the applicant and whether they were (A) awarded and (B) paid; whether her Department (1) paid for and (2) offered to pay for the legal costs incurred by each such applicant; and what the total cost to the public purse was of payment of the legal costs for each such applicant.

David Jones: There have been no applications for judicial review.

Public Sector: Pay

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many officials in her Department received a bonus in each year since 2007.

David Jones: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 8 November 2011, Official Report, column 165-6W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Wimbledon (Stephen Hammond).

Press: Subscriptions

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department has spent on newspapers, periodicals and trade profession magazines since May 2010.

David Jones: The Wales Office financial information is held in financial years.
	In the year 2010-11 the cost of newspapers, periodicals and professional magazines was £14,573.03.
	For the period 2011-12 up to the end of September, the latest date for which information is available, the cost is £2,881.15.
	The figure for the current year reflects that the Department has significantly reduced the number of titles it purchases.

Security Vetting

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what level of security vetting is required for the post of (a) head of communications, (b) deputy head of communications and (c) press officer in her Department;
	(2)  what level of security vetting is required for (a) civil servants of grade seven or above and (b) special advisers in her Department.

David Jones: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 8 November 2011, Official Report, column 167W, to the hon. Member for Hemsworth (Jon Trickett).

Devolution

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions she has had with Welsh Government Ministers on the devolution of energy policies to Wales.

Cheryl Gillan: I have regular discussions with the First Minister on a range of issues and he has raised the issue of devolution of energy consents with me informally during these discussions.
	A formal request was made by the Welsh Government to the Prime Minister in July and we have responded setting out that there remains no compelling evidence at present to support a change to the current devolution settlement in relation to energy consents.
	The Government have established the Silk Commission, which will examine the boundary between what is devolved and non-devolved, and to make recommendations on any modifications to the settlement which are likely to have a wide degree of support.

Drugs

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with Welsh Government Ministers on drug usage in Wales.

David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan), and I have regular discussions with Ministers in the Welsh Government on a range of matters relevant to Wales.
	The Government's Drug Strategy 2010, sets out our approach to tackling drugs across England, and in Wales, in the non-devolved areas of policing, criminal justice and the work of the Department for Work and Pensions. The strategy represents a major change to policy and sets out a fundamentally different approach to preventing drug use and in supporting recovery from drug and alcohol dependence.
	The Welsh Government have their own approaches to tackling substance use in areas that are devolved in Wales and as a result was consulted during the development of the strategy.
	Copies of the strategy are available in the Library and at the link:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs/drug-strategy-2010/

Electrification

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on full electrification of the railway line between London and Swansea.

David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan), and I have regular discussions with Ministers in the Department for Transport, on various issues that affect Wales, including rail infrastructure.
	Following our decision to electrify the line to Cardiff, the case for electrification between Cardiff and Swansea remains under review.

Finance

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether her Department has carried out an economic impact assessment for Wales on the effect of the Government's spending reductions.

Cheryl Gillan: The comprehensive spending review delivers a fair deal for Wales and the reduction in the Welsh Government's budget is smaller than the UK average.
	Departments across Government inform the Wales Office of all spending plans in Wales but it is for those individual Departments to carry out impact assessments in relation to any spending undertaken in Wales in non-devolved areas. It is for the Welsh Government to make their own impact assessments of spending reductions they make in areas for which they are responsible.

Human Trafficking: Children

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on separated and trafficked children in Wales.

David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan), and I have regular discussions with the Welsh Government on a wide range of issues, including the welfare of children in Wales.
	We recognise the importance of tackling the issue of separated and trafficked children and we will be meeting with the Anti Human Trafficking Co-ordinator for Wales before the end of the year.

Inward Investment

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if she will estimate the level of inward investment to Wales since May 2010.

Cheryl Gillan: For the most recent full financial year (2010-11), UKTI recorded 38 investment projects to Wales, with 2,444 new jobs created and a further 1,100 jobs safeguarded. This accounted for 4% of the total number of foreign direct investment projects brought into the UK.

Joint Ministerial Committee

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when and where the next meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee will take place.

Cheryl Gillan: The next plenary meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee is expected to take place in late summer 2012. The relevant sub-committees will meet as normal in advance of that meeting.

Joint Ministerial Committee

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when and where the last meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee took place; and what was discussed.

Cheryl Gillan: The Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) annual report, which was issued on 9 June 2011, listed all meetings of the JMC in the previous 12 months and the agenda items discussed.

Legal Opinion

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many officials in her Department work in its legal section.

David Jones: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 7 November 2011, Official Report, column 15W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Wimbledon (Stephen Hammond).

Public Sector: Pay

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many officials in her Department received a pay rise other than by promotion in the last two years.

David Jones: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 8 November 2011, Official Report, column 165W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Wimbledon (Stephen Hammond).

Security

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people are in possession of a security pass for her main departmental headquarters.

David Jones: There are 58 holders of security passes for the Wales Office's main building.

Security

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what company or Government service is used to undertake security vetting at (a) counter-terrorist check, (b) security check and (c) developed vetting for officials and special advisers in her Department.

David Jones: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 8 November 2011, Official Report, column 166W, to the hon. Member for Hemsworth (Jon Trickett).
	On 3 October 2011, the Defence Vetting Agency became Defence Business Services National Security Vetting.

Social Security Benefits

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) incapacity benefit and (b) employment and support allowance claimants there were in Wales in the period for which figures are available.

David Jones: The latest period for which figures are available is February 2011. These show that the number of incapacity benefit claimants in Wales is 142,260 (figures for incapacity benefit also include those claiming severe disablement allowance), and the number of employment and support allowance claimants in Wales is 42,260.
	The information is also available on the Nomis website provided by the Office for National Statistics at this link:
	https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/Default.asp

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment she has made of the impact of the strategic defence and security review on Wales.

Cheryl Gillan: Decisions relating to the strategic defence and security review have clearly shown the Government's commitment to retaining a strong military footprint and supporting the defence industry in Wales.
	As part of the review, we confirmed our commitment to order 22 A400M, which will come into service as planned in 2014. This is good news for employees of Airbus, including the 6,500 workers based at Broughton in Flintshire. The Scout Specialist Vehicle contract with General Dynamics UK also brings much needed job security to defence industry workers in South Wales.
	The decision to retain 160 Brigade at Brecon recognises the strong links that have been built with the forces in this Welsh community over the last century, and we are boosting the defence presence at St Athan.
	I will continue to work with the Ministry of Defence to ensure the continued strength of the armed forces and the defence industry in Wales.

Telephone Services

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department has allocated to each public telephone line funded by her Department in 2011-12.

David Jones: The Wales Office does not fund any public telephone lines.

Unemployment

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment she has made of the level of long-term unemployment in Wales.

David Jones: The latest unemployment figures were disappointing and highlight the continued fragility of the economic recovery, but the level of long-term unemployment in Wales remains 20% lower than it was in May 2010.
	The Government are determined to tackle long-term unemployment in Wales and across the UK. Our reforms to the benefits system to strengthen work incentives and to make sure that work always pays will have a particularly significant impact in Wales which has suffered so badly from worklessness in the past.
	These reforms are complemented by the new Work Programme, the biggest payment-by-results employment programme ever in the UK. This is central to our strategy to deal with the challenge of long-term unemployment by supporting people into the right kind of employment.
	The provision of skills and training in Wales is devolved to the Welsh Government and it is therefore important that we work together to ensure people have the skills necessary to re-enter the job market.

Internships

Peter Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many paid internships her Department has offered since May 2010.

David Jones: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 7 November 2011, Official Report, column 16W, to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Luciana Berger).

DEFENCE

Service Personnel: Housing

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support his Department is providing to service personnel to access affordable housing.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence continues to support home ownership for service personnel through its home ownership scheme. We also encourage service personnel to explore the three main schemes available through the Government to help purchase a property. These are First Buy, New Build Home Buy, and Home Buy Direct. Service personnel are now in the highest priority group for access to First Buy schemes.

Defence Reform Review

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he has made in implementing the recommendations of the defence reform review.

Philip Hammond: The Department continues to make progress in transforming defence so that we clear up the £38 billion black hole our predecessors left behind and build a defence capability fit for the future. I am determined to put the Department’s finances on a sound footing, with an equipment programme rooted in reality not fantasy.
	To date, the MOD has taken forward work on the future of the Defence Equipment and Support Organisation; established a centre of excellence at the Defence Academy to improve leadership and ways of working; confirmed a billion pound upgrade programme for the Army’s Warrior infantry fighting vehicles; adopted a new top-level command structure for the Army in line with Lord Levene’s recommendations; enshrined in law the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant; and launched a further Voluntary Early Release Scheme for 2012 to 2014 for the MOD’s civilian work force.
	I intend to take a direct, hands-on role in implementing the transformation policy decision made by my predecessor.

Operation Ellamy

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the performance of the armed forces in Operation Ellamy.

Philip Hammond: Our armed forces, with our Allies, played a vital role in liberating Libya and ending Colonel Gaddafi’s brutal regime.
	The outstanding performance of our armed forces has proven that they have the capability to project power and influence at very short notice. The operation has once again highlighted that both our people and equipment are world class.
	At its peak, some 2,300 British servicemen and women were deployed on Operation Ellamy. We deployed 32 aircraft including 16 Tornado GR4s, six Typhoons, five attack helicopters, refuelling tankers and specialist surveillance aircraft and helicopters. Over the course of the operation we also deployed eight warships and attack submarines.
	I was delighted to have the opportunity two weeks ago to visit our servicemen and women in Gioia del Colle so I could see at first hand the superb work they have done.

Reservists

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what incentives are available to encourage people to become reservists.

Andrew Robathan: There are many reasons why people join the reserve forces, including the desire to serve their country. There are an extensive range of opportunities available which can enhance professional development and personal skills to those that choose to do so. In addition, a good financial package is available when the reservist meets various commitments.

EADS

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support his Department is providing to EADS to win the combat jet tender for the Indian air force.

Peter Luff: The German Government have the lead on behalf of the Eurofighter partner nations. In supporting them, UK Ministers and senior officials have advocated the benefits of Typhoon to our Indian counterparts. This has included highlighting the operational success of Typhoon in Libya.
	The RAF also supported the Luftwaffe in conducting flight evaluation trials as part of the Indian assessment of Typhoon.

Defence Munitions: Beith

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the potential effects of changes to Ministry of Defence police staffing levels at Defence Munitions Beith.

Andrew Robathan: We will continue to maintain effective and proportionate levels of security at all our sites. A series of proposals that will help determine the MOD’s future requirement for the MOD police services and capabilities are currently subject to formal consultation. Other adjustments are under consideration, and again any proposals for change will be subject to consultation. I am due to meet with the chairman of the Defence Police Federation on 21 November.

Adam Werritty

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the (a) names, (b) titles and (c) positions were of each individual who attended a meeting he had during an overseas visit at which Mr Adam Werritty was present; and what was discussed at each meeting;
	(2)  whether he sought advice from his Department's civil servants before attending any meetings at which Mr Adam Werritty was present.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 18 October 2011
	I have not attended any meetings at which Mr Werritty was present.

Adam Werritty

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to paragraph 14 of the report by the Cabinet Secretary of 18 October 2011, who offered private office attendance to the then Secretary of State for overseas visits.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 24 October 2011
	The offer to attend the meetings in Dubai and Israel was made by the member of the Private Office staff of the then Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), who was travelling with him.

Adam Werritty

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Minister for international security strategy sought advice from the permanent secretary of his Department prior to his meeting with Adam Werritty and Stephen Crouch on 27 September 2011.

Gerald Howarth: This was an early introductory meeting, as was made clear in the Cabinet Secretary's report published on 18 October 2011. As such, I did not raise the issue with the Permanent Secretary before it happened.

Adam Werritty

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Adam Werritty was present during any meetings which his predecessor had with representatives of the US administration at which the Trident replacement programme was discussed.

Philip Hammond: Not to my knowledge.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria he has set to define the end of Operation Herrick.

Philip Hammond: UK forces deployed on Operation Herrick operate as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) coalition. The National Security Council regularly reviews the UK's operations in Afghanistan. Currently, criteria for the end of the combat element of Operation Herrick are based on ISAF campaign planning and the intention to transition to an Afghan security lead by 2014. The Prime Minister has directed that by 2015 UK forces will no longer be in Afghanistan in a combat role.
	The question of the extent to which other assistance currently provided as part of Operation Herrick to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) will continue to be provided after 2014 through ISAF or other means, will be subject to ongoing discussions with GIRoA and other ISAF partners.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent progress he has made towards the deployment of the Foxhound vehicle to Afghanistan.

Peter Luff: The first Foxhound lightweight protected patrol vehicles are expected to be delivered for training purposes in the UK by the end of the year and to be available for operations in Afghanistan, by personnel trained in their use, from the spring of 2012.

Armed Forces: Training

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training his Department provides to military personnel on responding to emergencies and natural disasters; and how many such emergencies and natural disasters have been responded to since 2008.

Nick Harvey: Those elements of the armed forces which provide specialist capabilities to the civil authorities are regularly trained and exercised for their role. These include Royal Navy ships, explosive ordnance disposal, search and rescue teams, and counter-terrorist forces.
	Other elements of the armed forces will not be involved routinely in responding to emergencies or natural disasters, although they may be called upon to support the lead responders in particularly difficult circumstances. They would be provided with such training as was necessary prior to any such deployment. Defence also takes part in the UK national exercise programme in order to exercise its role in support of the civil authorities. The military chain of command in the regions of the UK also conducts regular training, education and exercising on the nature of military operations in the UK to ensure that staffs are prepared to command Defence support to civil-led operations at short notice if required.
	It is difficult precisely to categorise what constitutes an emergency or natural disaster in terms of nature, impact and geographical extent. This answer assumes a definition of crises where a number of lives are at risk, in one or more locations. Since January 2008, the Ministry of Defence has responded to approximately 14 emergencies and natural disasters overseas and nine in the UK. These include a wide range of activities from humanitarian assistance following hurricanes and tropical storms overseas to the provision of assistance to the civil authorities during severe weather in the UK. It does not include the routine provision of search and rescue or explosive ordnance disposal in the UK, nor does it include wider Defence operations such as operations in and around Libya.

Armed Forces: Training

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to identify the underlying causes for the drop-out rate from training for recruits aged below 18 years; and what steps he is taking to address this.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 7 November 2011
	All leavers are provided the opportunity to complete the recruit trainee survey which contains sections dedicated to the reason why they are leaving. The results from the survey suggest that the most common reasons for those aged 16-18 who choose to leave do so because they judge the lifestyle is not for them or they miss their friends and families. The armed forces continue to monitor drop-out rates and, where possible, address the causes. It is recognised that life in the services, while challenging and offering a great many opportunities, can be a demanding environment that is not right for everyone.
	The recent Ofsted report, “Welfare and Duty of Care in Armed Forces Initial Training”, confirms that the armed forces’ work to improve their recruitment and selection procedures is being successful in reducing our trainee drop-out rates.

Bell Pottinger Group

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) political advisers in his Department have met representatives of (i) Bell Pottinger Group or (ii) each of its subsidiaries in the last five years; on what dates any such meetings took place; and what was discussed.

Philip Hammond: I refer the hon. Member to the quarterly publications of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries’ meetings with external organisations (known as ‘outside interest groups’ under the previous Administration) that can be found at the following website:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/FinancialReports/Expenses/
	Information for the quarter April to June 2011 will be published shortly; July to September is currently being collated.
	The additional information requested for each of the last five years is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Counter-terrorism: Research

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what collaborative research on threat reduction is being undertaken by the Atomic Weapons Establishment’s National Security Division and the UK National Nuclear Laboratory.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence encourages co-operation on nuclear threat reduction between the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) and a wide range of expert institutions in academia and industry, both within the UK and overseas. I understand that joint proposals for enhanced co-operation between these two establishments in this important research field are currently being progressed.

Defence Equipment

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Blaydon of 21 October 2011, Official Report, column 1167W, on defence equipment, on how many occasions special couriers were used to transport military kit in (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08 and (c) 2008-09; what the cost to the public purse was of each delivery; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the cost was of using special couriers to transport military equipment in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: Information on the number of times special couriers were used to deliver high priority requests and the cost per financial year is contained in the following table. The cost of each delivery is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Financial year Number of movements Cost (£ million) 
			 2006-07 10,336 2.07 
			 2007-08 18,094 3.65 
			 2008-09 11,602 3.38 
			 2009-10 14,595 2.75 
			 2010-11 13,995 2.53 
		
	
	Special couriers are used only for the delivery of urgently required equipment, usually in support of operations, when delivery cannot be guaranteed by other means in the timeframe required. Although only the unit requesting the equipment is in a position to determine the urgency of a request, mechanisms are in place to challenge the validity of this if there is any doubt as to the suitability of using a special courier.

Defence: Finance

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funding his Department allocated to research and development expenditure on (a) manned contact aircraft, (b) Future Surface Combatant, (c) next generation helicopters, (d) Future Infantry Soldier Technology and (e) military satellites in 2010-11.

Peter Luff: Ministry of Defence research and development expenditure statistics are designated National Statistics status and as such the release of the figures for 2010-11 are embargoed until their publication by the Office for National Statistics in March 2012.

Defence: Finance

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of his Department's budget was spent on equipment for the (a) Army, (b) Navy and (c) RAF in each year since 2005.

Peter Luff: Equipment is aimed at meeting an identified capability, which may be delivered by any of the three services, and spend is, therefore, not readily categorised by service. The breakdown requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	From information published in the United Kingdom Defence Statistics at:
	http://www.mod.uk
	estimated MOD equipment expenditure (including capital expenditure on equipment, equipment support and research and development) as a proportion of Defence spending (outturn) since 2005 is as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year Equipment expenditure as a proportion of final outturn (%) 
			 2004-05 33 
			 2005-06 33 
			 2006-07 34 
			 2007-08 33 
			 2008-09 35 
			 2009-10 33 
			 2010-11 35

Defence: Territorial Waters

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of funding to ensure the effective protection of UK territorial waters.

Nick Harvey: I am satisfied that the Department has adequate funding to ensure the effective protection of UK territorial waters.

Cyber Taskforce

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel are assigned to his Department’s cyber task force.

Nick Harvey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the previous Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), on 14 July 2011, Official Report, columns 427-28W.

Marketing

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many consultants were employed to work on marketing by his Department; how much was spent in total by his Department on external consultants to work on marketing; and what the salary was of each such consultant from 1 May 2010 to 1 November 2011.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 9 November 2011
	There were no bids to engage external consultants to work on marketing in the period from June 2010 to November 2011. Prior to June 2010 there are no records held.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he receives any external funding for (a) his ministerial office and (b) his advisers; and what the (i) source and (ii) amount is of any such funding.

Philip Hammond: No.

Ministerial Responsibilities

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  who the duty Minister in his Department was on each day of August 2011; and what the responsibilities of the duty Minister were;
	(2)  which staff were employed in his deployed office and accompanied him on leave in August 2011;
	(3)  what hours were worked by staff on his deployed office who accompanied him on leave in August 2011;
	(4)  on how many occasions the Secretary of State for Defence has been accompanied by a deployed office while on leave in the last 20 years;
	(5)  what costs were incurred under each budget heading by his deployed office which accompanied him on leave in August 2011.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 7 September 2011
	The Ministry of Defence's Duty Minister for each day in August 2011 was:
	
		
			  Duty Minister 
			 1 August Nick Harvey MP 
			 2 August Nick Harvey MP 
			 3 August Nick Harvey MP 
			 4 August Nick Harvey MP 
			 5 August Nick Harvey MP 
			 6 August Nick Harvey MP 
			 7 August Gerald Howarth MP 
			 8 August Gerald Howarth MP 
			 9 August Gerald Howarth MP 
			 10 August Gerald Howarth MP 
			 11 August Gerald Howarth MP 
			 12 August Gerald Howarth MP 
			 13 August Gerald Howarth MP 
			 14 August Gerald Howarth MP 
			 15 August Andrew Robathan MP 
			 16 August Andrew Robathan MP 
			 17 August Andrew Robathan MP 
			 18 August Andrew Robathan MP 
			 19 August Andrew Robathan MP 
			 20 August Andrew Robathan MP 
			 21 August Peter Luff MP 
			 22 August Peter Luff MP 
			 23 August Peter Luff MP 
			 24 August Peter Luff MP 
			 25 August Peter Luff MP 
			 26 August Peter Luff MP 
			 27 August Peter Luff MP 
			 28 August Peter Luff MP 
			 29 August Nick Harvey MP 
			 30 August Nick Harvey MP 
			 31 August Nick Harvey MP 
		
	
	The Duty Minister may be required to deal with urgent matters when the Minister responsible is unavailable.
	However, some operational issues were not delegated by my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), to the Duty Minister and arrangements were put in place for him to receive secure communications, intelligence updates and advice while overseas to allow him to take key operational decisions in relation to our mission in Libya.
	He was therefore accompanied by a deployed office consisting of a member of his private office, a special adviser, and a communications (equipment) specialist.
	The deployed office was run on routine business from establishment of secure communications at 0800 hrs to the completion of work in the evening each day. The team were on call, as the duty private office, at all other times. The deployed staff rotated the on-call duty and managed it together with the additional responsibility of monitoring and safeguarding the secure communications equipment. Dr Fox received regular daily updates at 1000 hrs to 1030 hrs, 1300 hrs to 1400 hrs, and 1730 hrs to 1800 hrs. Urgent issues, of which there were several, were dealt with as they arose.
	The costs (rounded to £10) associated with this deployed office were:
	
		
			  £ 
			 Car hire 1x14 days 1,040 
			 3* hotel 3 rooms x 14 days 6,230 
			 Flights x6 1,460 
			 Subsistence 490 
			 Miscellaneous travel costs 1,200 
			 Office equipment 170 
			 Secure satellite communications 8,240 
		
	
	Information is not held on how many occasions Defence Secretaries over the last 20 years have been accompanied by a deployed office while on holiday.

Security Vetting

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were in possession of a security pass for his main departmental headquarters, including multi-site headquarters and not including staff or contractors, in each month since May 2010.

Andrew Robathan: Information on the numbers of passes issued specifically to non Ministry of Defence staff and contractors is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The number of passes issued changes weekly or sometimes daily.

Visits Abroad

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to the public purse was of sending (a) officials of his Department and (b) special advisers to accompany him on his leave in Spain; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Hammond: The costs (rounded to £10) associated with sending officials and special advisers to accompany my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), as part of his deployed office were as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 Car hire 1x14 days 1,040 
			 3* hotel 3 rooms x 14 days 6,230 
			 Flights x6 1,460 
			 Subsistence 490 
			 Miscellaneous travel costs 1,200 
		
	
	
		
			 Office equipment 170 
			 Secure satellite communications 8,240

Written Questions

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many parliamentary questions for written answer on a named day by his Department were answered (a) on time, (b) five days late, (c) 10 days late, (d) 20 days late and (e) over 30 days late in each month since May 2010;
	(2)  how many parliamentary questions for(a) ordinary written answer and (b) written answer on a named day by his Department have remained unanswered for a period of two months since May 2010.

Andrew Robathan: The information requested for parliamentary questions for written answer on a named day is provided in the following table.
	
		
			 Month due for answer On time 5 sitting days late 10 sitting days late 20 sitting days late Over 30 sitting days late 
			 May 2010 0 0 0 0 0 
			 June 2010 51 2 0 0 0 
			 July 2010 40 1 1 0 0 
			 August 2010 0 0 0 0 0 
			 September 2010 24 0 0 0 0 
			 October 2010 47 0 0 0 0 
			 November 2010 73 2 0 0 0 
			 December 2010 42 3 0 0 4 
			       
			 January 2011 83 0 0 0 1 
			 February 2011 67 2 3 0 0 
			 March 2011 60 2 1 0 0 
			 April 2011 33 0 0 0 0 
			 May 2011 29 0 0 0 0 
			 June 2011 33 4 1 0 1 
			 July 2011 40 2 1 0 0 
			 August 2011 0 0 0 0 0 
			 September 2011 10 2 2 0 5 
			 October 2011 30 5 0 0 0 
		
	
	Between May 2010 and 31 October 2011, two parliamentary questions for ordinary written answer and one for written answer on a named day remained unanswered by the Ministry of Defence for a period of two months.
	The Government are committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis and will provide full information to the Committee at the end of the session. Statistics relating to Government Departments’ performance for the 2009-10 parliamentary session were previously provided to the committee and are available on the Parliament website.

Written Questions

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether draft answers to parliamentary questions prepared by officials in his Department are cleared by special advisers (a) before and (b) after the relevant Minister.

Andrew Robathan: Draft answers to parliamentary questions are prepared by officials and are seen by special advisers before being signed off by the relevant Minister. Final answers are then taken directly to Parliament. Ministry of Defence processes ensure that it is clear to Ministers what advice is provided by officials and what is provided by special advisers.

Disclosure of Information

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2011, Official Report, column 429W, on disclosure of information, if he will publish the findings of the inquiry into the unauthorised disclosure of the letter between the former Secretary of State and the Prime Minister, which appeared in The Daily Telegraph on 28 September 2010.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 7 November 2011
	The investigation remains open. The person responsible for the leak has not yet been identified.

Ex-servicemen: Domestic Violence

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether armed services personnel receive any advice on domestic violence prior to leaving the armed services.

Andrew Robathan: Domestic violence is an issue we take extremely seriously. We recently published the new Joint Services Publication 913: Tri-Service Policy on Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence, which is referenced in single service websites and regulations. A copy of Joint Service Publication 913 is available in the Library of the House.
	The issue of domestic violence is not explicitly touched upon during resettlement courses. However, if during their resettlement briefing, any individual is identified as vulnerable, they receive additional support which may include counselling.
	Once an individual has left the armed forces additional support is available from the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency, as well as national charities.

France: Military Alliances

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent meetings he has had with his French counterpart to discuss UK-French defence co-operation; and what his priorities are for further developing such co-operation.

Philip Hammond: I have not yet met with the French Minister for Defence and Veterans’ Affairs but plan to do so later this month. I expect to review the significant progress that has been made in UK-France defence co-operation since the signing of the treaties last year and to look ahead to new opportunities. I also expect to discuss the success of our close co-operation during the Libya campaign. My priorities are now to build on that success across the spectrum of bilateral defence activity including work to develop the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force, equipment and capability co-operation, optimising the use of in-service capabilities, enhanced co-operation on professional military education and aligning concepts and doctrine. We have a complex and challenging bilateral agenda to improve military interoperability that will, I believe, enhance effectiveness of capabilities on both sides in the years ahead.

France: Military Alliances

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the potential effects of planned defence budget reductions in the UK and France on future defence co-operation with France.

Philip Hammond: Given the current constraints on public expenditure, the UK has sought through the UK-France Defence Treaty to strengthen operational and equipment co-operation with France. It is important to obtain maximum benefit from what we do spend on Defence. The UK-France Defence and Security Treaty is a key part of our strategy to maintain and enhance the capability and interoperability of the UK and our closest European ally.
	It would be premature to make judgments on the potential effect of any future reductions in the French Defence budget. That is a matter for the French Government. It is clear however that France is as committed, as the UK is, to strengthening Franco-British Defence co-operation and maintaining military capabilities against a background of constraints on public expenditure. Both sides will therefore continue actively to explore options for co-operation in both operational and equipment areas as envisaged in the UK-France Defence and Security Treaty.

IRG

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions Ministers in his Department have met representatives of IRG Ltd; and when any such meetings have taken place.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 31 October 2011
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 November 2011, Official Report, columns 228-29W.

Israel: Joint Exercises

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on co-operation on military and security intelligence;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on (a) military co-operation and (b) joint military training exercises.

Philip Hammond: I met with my Israeli counterpart on 3 November 2011, at which meeting the discussion focused on recent events in the middle east.

Lord Astor of Hever

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  on how many occasions Lord Astor of Hever has visited Bahrain on Government business; and what Government business he conducted on each visit;
	(2)  on how many occasions Lord Astor of Hever has met any member of the Bahraini royal family while on official business.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 7 November 2011
	Lord Astor of Hever has visited Bahrain twice on official business.
	In December 2010, Lord Astor attended the Manama Dialogue and was present at an official meeting with His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Lord Astor accompanied my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), the chief of Defence staff and Her Majesty’s ambassador were also present.
	In February 2011, Lord Astor travelled through Bahrain on his way back from an official visit to Afghanistan and while in Bahrain he held an official meeting with His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, accompanied by Her Majesty’s ambassador.

Lord Astor of Hever

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many official meetings Lord Astor of Hever has had with Stephen Crouch.

Philip Hammond: Lord Astor of Hever has had no official meetings with Stephen Crouch.

Military Bases: Chelsfield

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  (a) how and (b) by whom the value of Chelsfield Ammunition Depot was determined;
	(2)  whether claw-back provisions were put in place in respect of the sale of Chelsfield Ammunition Depot to safeguard the public interest in the event of any change of planning use;
	(3)  for what reasons (a) the sale of Chelsfield Ammunition Depot was not advertised locally, (b) no notice of the sale was posted at Chelsfield Ammunition Depot and (c) neighbouring residents were not informed of the sale of Chelsfield Ammunition Depot.

Andrew Robathan: The value of Chelsfield Ammunition Depot was determined on the open market via bids submitted on an informal tender basis. No clawback conditions were imposed on the sale.
	Chelsfield was marketed and advertised in accordance with normal procedures through GVA Grimley, the Ministry of Defence's commercial disposal agents. Anyone who had previously expressed an interest in the site was contacted directly by the Department.
	It is not normal practice to notify neighbouring residents individually of any sale.

Navy

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy ships are currently in service; how many were in service in 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: Due to the difficult economic position this Government inherited, tough decisions have had to be taken to rationalise the fleet.
	In 2008 the Royal Navy had 75 surface ships. The Royal Navy currently has 66 surface ships in service of the following types: Landing Platform Docks, Landing Platform Helicopters, Destroyers, Frigates, Mine Countermeasures ships, River Class Offshore Patrol Vessels, Inshore Patrol Craft and Survey Ships. In addition, the Royal Navy has 11 submarines in service (Ballistic and fleet).
	The work done in the SDSR concluded that, despite these reductions, the Royal Navy retained sufficient assets to undertake the tasks required of it, as shown by the success of our operations in Libya.

Somalia: Piracy

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps the Royal Navy is taking to tackle piracy off the Horn of Africa.

Nick Harvey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Central Devon (Mel Stride).

Sri Lanka

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the right hon. Member for North Somerset's meeting with the Sri Lanka Development Trust in Sri Lanka formed part of the official itinerary for his visit to that country.

Philip Hammond: The Ministry of Defence has no record of such a meeting and the official programme did not include a meeting with the Sri Lankan Development Trust.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to answer question 69774 on his leave in Spain, tabled on 11 August 2011 for answer on 6 September 2011.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 17 October 2011
	I replied to the hon. Member today.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Schools: Polling Stations

John Mann: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many schools are used as polling stations in England.

Gary Streeter: The location of polling stations is the responsibility of individual local authorities, not the Electoral Commission, and therefore this information is not held centrally.
	The Commission has recommended that Returning Officers should have the power to use any publicly owned building as a polling place. This would allow the Returning Officer a greater selection of locations for polling places, which should improve accessibility.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Bell Pottinger Group

John Mann: To ask the Attorney-General whether (a) he, (b) officials and (c) political advisers in the Law Officers' Departments have met representatives of (i) Bell Pottinger Group or (ii) each of its subsidiaries in the last five years; on what dates any such meetings took place; and what was discussed.

Dominic Grieve: Details of meetings attended by Ministers and Directors with outside interest groups are published quarterly on departmental websites for the Attorney-General's Office, Crown Prosecution Service and Treasury Solicitor's Department.
	I can confirm that no meetings have taken place between Bell Pottinger Group and the organisations mentioned above.
	The Serious Fraud Office and Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) do not currently publish details of such meetings.
	The Director of the Serious Fraud Office met with Peter Bingle, the Chairman of Bell Pottinger Public Affairs on 8 September 2009. HMCPSI have had no such meetings.

Courts: Victims

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Attorney-General in what proportion of court cases in (a) Northamptonshire and (b) England the Crown Prosecution Service has ensured the presentation of victim impact statements in the latest period for which figures are available.

Dominic Grieve: The decision about whether to make a victim personal statement (VPS), formally known as a victim impact statement, is made by the victim. Where a VPS is made it forms part of the prosecution case file. In order to obtain precise figures, each case file would need to be examined and this could be done only at a disproportionate cost.

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Attorney-General how many full-time equivalent staff are employed on consultancy contracts in the Law Officers' Departments; and if he will make a statement.

Dominic Grieve: The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has not given any consultancy staff full-time equivalent status. Any consultancy work is paid for purely on a task basis and it is for the consultancy firm to determine the appropriate number of their staff required to deliver the task. There are two consultants working in the SFO on this basis.
	There are no staff currently employed on consultancy contracts by the remaining Law Officers' Departments although the Treasury Solicitors' Department does have one contract that allows for a maximum of 20 days consultancy service to be called upon if required.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Bell Pottinger Group

John Mann: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) political advisers in his Department have met representatives of (i) Bell Pottinger Group or (ii) each of its subsidiaries in the last five years; on what dates any such meetings took place; and what was discussed.

Nicholas Clegg: A list of my official meetings with external organisations is published quarterly and can be found on the Cabinet Office website:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-external-organisations
	Further detailed information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Credit: Foreign Nationals

Steve Brine: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effect on foreign nationals' personal credit ratings of their inability to join the electoral register.

Mark Harper: In order to be eligible to register to vote in UK elections and referendums you must have reached the appropriate age and be a British, Irish, EU or qualifying Commonwealth citizen. Qualifying Commonwealth citizens are those who have leave to enter or remain in the UK, or do not require such leave. All other foreign nationals are ineligible.
	Credit reference agencies (CRAs) are entitled to use the full electoral register to vet applications for credit.
	The information held by CRAs in a consumer's credit reference file enables lenders to assess whether an individual has the ability to repay any credit that is offered. The information in the electoral register forms part of the information on a consumer's credit reference file. In circumstances where a prospective borrower has a ‘thin’ file, for example because he or she is relatively new to credit or is not on the electoral register, then banks may not have sufficient information to make an informed assessment of risk and may therefore decline the credit.
	The Government do not interfere in individual lending decisions. It remains for individual lenders to make their own lending decisions regarding those to whom they lend.
	The Government do not hold data on the number of foreign nationals denied credit.

Duchy of Cornwall

Andrew George: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the policy of the Government is on the (a) rights, (b) powers and (c) interests of (i) the Earl of Chester and (ii) the Duchy of Cornwall.

Mark Harper: The Prince of Wales is currently the Duke of Cornwall and Earl of Chester with the rights, powers and interests set out in the charters and letters of patent which originally created these titles.

Duchy of Cornwall

Andrew George: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Duchy of Cornwall is a public body for the purposes of Government legislation.

Mark Harper: The Duchy of Cornwall is a private estate that funds the public, charitable and private activities of the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

Duchy of Cornwall: Freedom of Information

Andrew George: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what information he holds on the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 which apply to the Duchy of Cornwall.

Mark Harper: The Duchy of Cornwall is not listed in schedule 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. No provisions in that Act apply to the Duchy.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether (a) he, (b) another Minister in his Department and (c) a special adviser in his Department has met, discussed or corresponded on changes to electoral registration laws with a think tank based in (i) the USA, (ii) the UK and (iii) elsewhere.

Mark Harper: Details of Ministers' meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis. Information for the period 13 May 2010 to 31 March 2011 can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-external-organisations
	Information for 1 April to 30 June 2011 will be published shortly.
	We have no record of a Cabinet Office Minister or special adviser, during this Administration, meeting or corresponding with a think tank on the Government's proposals to implement individual electoral registration in Great Britain.

Parliamentary Scrutiny

Natascha Engel: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many staff of his Office will be working on (a) the introduction of a public reading stage for Bills and (b) the introduction of a public reading day within a Bill's committee stage.

Nicholas Clegg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 7 March 2011, Official Report, column 740W, by the Leader of the House of Commons, my right hon. Friend the Member for North West Hampshire (Sir George Young).

CABINET OFFICE

Civil Servants: Pensions

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of members of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme are (a) part-time, (b) full-time, (c) male, (d) female, (e) active members and (f) deferred members/pensioners.

Francis Maude: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 February 2011, Official Report, column 677W.

Civil Servants: Redundancy

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the level of redundancy costs arising from civil service staff who left the civil service in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11; and how much he expects to spend on redundancy costs in (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13, (iii) 2013-14 and (iv) 2014-15.

Francis Maude: holding answer 21 October 2011
	Individual Departments and agencies are responsible for making civil servants redundant, and the information requested is not currently recorded centrally in its entirety. However, the total amount of lump sums payable each year from the Civil Service Compensation Scheme in respect of early exits is recorded in the Notes to the Resource Accounts for Cabinet Office: Civil Superannuation (which are available in the Library once published). Furthermore, Departments are reporting information about the numbers and costs of their redundancies and other early exits in their resource accounts with effect from 2010-11.
	Cabinet Office is currently working with Departments to understand their future work force plans and projections. Information on finalised estimates for future years is not yet available but will be released in due course.

Advertising: Job Vacancies

Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much his Department has spent on advertising job vacancies since May 2010.

Francis Maude: The total cost for advertising job vacancies in Cabinet Office since May 2010 is £5,823. In each financial year two campaigns have been run, details as follows.
	
		
			 2010-11 
			 Number of posts Publication Date Cost (£) 
			 7 www.guardian.co.uk 1 December 2010 812 
			 1 www.guardian.co.uk 4 March 2011 829 
			 1 www.exec-appointments.com 7 April 2011 2,167 
			 3 www.guardian.co.uk 15 August 2011 2,015 
		
	
	On 25 May 2010 the Government announced a recruitment freeze on all external recruitment with some exceptions in order not to prejudice the delivery of business. These four campaigns are such exceptions.
	Recruitment expenditure over the last five years demonstrates a reduction in overall costs following a move to on-line advertising rather than print. Recruitment costs for past five financial years as follows:
	
		
			  Print cost (£) On-line cost (£) Number of campaigns Average cost (£) 
			 2011-12 0 4,182 2 2,091 
			 2010-11 0 1,641 2 821 
			 2009-10 7,230 3,198 2 5,214 
			 2008-09 147,128 41,791 33 5,725 
			 2007-08 77,044 2,043 19 4,162

Travel: Costs

Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much his Department has spent on first class travel by (a) air, (b) boat and (c) train since May 2010.

Francis Maude: Since May 2010, the Cabinet Office has spent the following amounts on first class travel:
	(a) Air: £0
	(b ) Boat: £0
	(c) Rail: £59,844.
	Of the above, our records show that £1,130.46 was spent on first class travel by Cabinet Office Ministers.

Divorce

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) men and (b) women aged (i) between 18 and 30, (ii) between 31 and 40, (iii) between 41 and 50, (iv) between 51 and 60 and (v) over 60 years old were divorced in England and Wales in each of the last three years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many (a) men and (b) women aged (i) between 18 and 30, (ii) between 31 and 40, (iii) between 41 and 50, (iv) between 51 and 60 and (v) over 60 years old were divorced in England and Wales in each of the last three years. (80393)
	The tables show the number of divorces recorded between 2007 and 2009, the latest year for which figures are available, by age at divorce. The term divorce includes both dissolutions and annulments of marriage.
	
		
			 Table 1: Numbers of men divorcing: age at divorce, England and Wales, 2007-09 
			  Age at divorce  
			  All ages 18 to 30 31 to 40 41 to 50 51 to 60 61 and over Age not stated 
			 2009 113,949 10,381 37,003 40,369 18,904 7,285 7 
			 2008 121,708 11,007 39,998 43,001 20,239 7,455 8 
			 2007 128,131 11,642 43,509 44,782 21,128 7,063 7 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Numbers of women divorcing: age at divorce, England and Wales, 2007-09 
			  Age at divorce  
			  All ages 18 to 30 31 to 40 41 to 50 51 to 60 61 and over Age not stated 
			 2009 113,949 17,577 39,683 38,069 14,389 4,222 7 
			 2008 121,708 18,627 42,971 40,387 15,519 4,196 8 
			 2007 128,131 19,243 47,274 41,865 15,765 3,977 7 
			 Source: Office for National Statistics

Duchy of Lancaster: Estate Agents

Ben Wallace: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what fees the Duchy of Lancaster has paid to (a) Smiths Gore and (b) other land agents since 2005.

Francis Maude: holding answer 10 November 2011
	The following table shows the fees paid to the managing agents on the rural estates. These figures relate to all aspects of professional advice as well as the day-to-day management of the individual properties. In 2008-09 the management of the Needwood Survey, Staffordshire was transferred from Fisher German to Savills.
	
		
			 £ 
			  Fisher German Savills Smiths Gore Total (net) 
			 2004-05 397,003 — 138,128 535,131 
			 2005-06 465,731 — 231,045 696,776 
			 2006-07 330,827 — 594,591 925,418 
			 2007-08 258,434 — 666,700 925,134 
			 2008-09 206,466 100,014 675,573 982,053 
			 2009-10 — 212,887 769,711 982,598 
			 2010-11 — 208,082 834,648 1,042,730

Duchy of Lancaster: Farms

Ben Wallace: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what farms and agricultural land are held by the Duchy of Lancaster.

Francis Maude: holding answer 10 November 2011
	The Duchy of Lancaster owns approximately 30,000 acres of agricultural land across England and Wales with a total of 100 farmsteads. The division of its holdings is scheduled as follows:
	
		
			  Acres Hectares 
			 Cheshire 3,097.06 1,253.36 
			 Derbyshire 260.80 105.54 
			 Glamorgan 68.23 27.61 
			 Leicestershire 9.27 3.75 
			 Lincolnshire 1,027.94 416.00 
			 Northamptonshire 1,893.82 766.42 
			 Shropshire — — 
			 Lancashire 9,717.70 3,932.70 
			 Staffordshire 5,810.52 2,351.49 
			 Yorkshire 8,291.81 3,355.65 
			 Total 30,177.15 12,212.52

Duchy of Lancaster: Farms

Ben Wallace: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which farms and agricultural holdings the Duchy of Lancaster disposed of in each year since 2005.

Francis Maude: holding answer 10 November 2011
	Sales of farms and agricultural land are scheduled as follows:
	2010-11
	Marbury—Hadley Hall Farm
	Lincolnshire—Midville Farmhouse and buildings
	Lincolnshire—Midville Farm land
	2009-10
	Salwick—Land at Gracemire Farm (0.37 acres)
	2008-09
	Marbury—Hollyhurst Farm
	Marbury—Hollyhurst Farm paddock
	2007-08
	Crewe—Radway Green paddock
	Salwick—0.16 ha land at Fir Trees Farm
	Crewe—0.03 ha land at Bank Top Farm
	2006-07
	Marbury—Townley Farmhouse and land
	Needwood—buildings Stubby Lane/Woodhouse Farm
	Salwick—0.18 ha. Fir Trees Farm (Manyviews, Lea Lane)
	2005-06
	Marbury—Hurst Hall Farm plus land ex-Townley Farm
	Strixton—release retention, land ex Old Lodge Farm
	Needwood—land adjacent Forest Farmhouse
	2004-05
	Winmarleigh—Crawley Cross Farm
	Marishes—Riggs Farmhouse land and buildings

Environment Protection

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will establish a Committee on the Natural Environment to advise and monitor all Government policy in terms of its impact on the natural environment.

Oliver Letwin: As Minister for Government Policy, I have been asked to respond. The Home and Economic Affairs Committees consider the vast majority of all of Government policy. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), and I sit on both committees. This allows consideration of natural environment issues at the time of policy development at committee level.
	Also, DEFRA is taking lead responsibility for reviewing departmental business plans in relation to sustainable development principles. We will then hold Departments to account through the quarterly business plan review process.

Government Contracts: Deloitte

John Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what contracts the Government has awarded to (a) Deloitte and (b) associates of Deloitte since May 2010.

Francis Maude: Last year, the Government saved £870 million by cutting departmental spend on consulting.
	Since January 2011, as part of the Government's programme to increase transparency, central Government Departments have been required to publish on Contracts Finder information on the contracts they award. The following table summarises contracts that are listed on Contract Finder. Further information is held by individual Departments.
	
		
			 Supplier Procuring authority Contract 
			 Ingeus Deloitte Department for Work and Pensions Work programme—CPA8 Scotland—Ingeus Deloitte 
			 Ingeus Deloitte Department for Work and Pensions English Work programme—CPA16 West Yorkshire—Ingeus Deloitte 
			 Ingeus Deloitte Department for Work and Pensions Work programme—CPA5 North East—Ingeus Deloitte 
			 Ingeus Deloitte Department for Work and Pensions Work programme—CPA1 East of England—Ingeus Deloitte 
			 Ingeus Deloitte Department for Work and Pensions Work programme—CPA3 West London—Ingeus Deloitte 
			 Ingeus Deloitte Department for Work and Pensions Work programme—CPA2 East Midlands—Ingeus Deloitte 
			 Ingeus Deloitte Department for Work and Pensions Work programme—CPA6 North West—Merseyside, Halton, Cumbria and Lancashire—Ingeus Deloitte 
			 Deloitte LLP Northern Ireland Audit Office Financial auditing services 
			 Deloitte LLP Skills Funding Agency Cloud Readiness 
			 Deloitte Humber NHS Foundation Trust Auditing services 
			 Deloitte LLP Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust Internal audit services 
			 Deloitte LLP Fabrick Housing Group Auditing services 
			 Deloitte LLP One Vision Housing Ltd Auditing services 
			 Deloitte National Audit Office Accounting and auditing services 
			 Deloitte MCS Ltd Doncaster metropolitan borough council Business and management consultancy and related services 
			 Deloitte LLP (local authorities) Audit Scotland Statutory audit services 
			 Deloitte LLP (health bodies) Audit Scotland Statutory audit services 
			 Deloitte LLP Coventry city council Financial consultancy services 
			 Deloitte LLP University of Leeds Statutory audit services 
			 Deloitte and Touche Public Sector Internal Audit Ltd North Devon district council Internal audit services 
			 Deloitte Herefordshire council Auditing services 
			 Drivers Jonas Deloitte NHS Shared Business Services Ltd Property management services of real estate on a fee or contract basis 
			 Deloitte LLP The Pensions Regulator Pension services 
			 Deloitte LLP The Pensions Regulator Business and management consultancy and related services 
			 Deloitte LLP Buying Solutions Computer-related professional services 
			 Deloitte LLP Buying Solutions Computer-related professional services 
			 Deloitte LLP Buying Solutions Computer-related professional services 
			 Deloitte LLP Buying Solutions Computer-related professional services 
			 Drivers Jonas Deloitte Swan Housing Association Ltd Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

Natural Resources

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office from what date the Office for National Statistics plans to include natural capital in the UK Environmental Accounts.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking from what date ONS plans to include natural capital in the UK Environmental Accounts. (80444).
	The timetable is set out in the Natural Environment White Paper (NEWP)(1) which was published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 7 June 2011 with the following commitments:
	‘The new measures of national wellbeing which are in development will reflect our dependency on the natural environment for the quality of our lives.’
	‘We will put natural capital at the heart of Government accounting. We will work with the Office for National Statistics to fully include natural capital in the UK Environmental Accounts, with early changes by 2013. In 2012 we will publish a roadmap for further improvements up to 2020.’
	The Office for National Statistics is leading on the delivery of these measurement commitments through our Measuring National Wellbeing(2) programme. The 2012 roadmap will detail the timetable for inclusion of natural capital within the UK Environmental Accounts, a satellite account to the UK National Accounts. ONS will be seeking to engage with a broad range of experts and potential users in the development of the roadmap. The exact date for its publication in 2012 has not yet been agreed but the publication date will be pre-announced in line with the National Statistics Code of Practice.
	This question was previously answered in Hansard 69449.
	(1) Note:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/natural/whitepaper/
	(2) Note:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/well-being/index.html

Skin Cancer

Julie Elliott: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the incidence of malignant melanoma is in each age group in the UK.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the incidence of malignant melanoma is in each age group in the UK.
	The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of malignant melanoma (incidence) are for the year 2009. Please note that these numbers may not be the same as the number of people diagnosed with cancer, because one person may be diagnosed with more than one cancer.
	The table included in this answer provides the number of newly diagnosed cases of melanoma skin cancer in the UK by age group in 2009.
	The latest published figures on the incidence of cancer in England are available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/cancer-statistics-registrations--england--series-mb1-/no--40--2009/index.html
	
		
			 Table 1. Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of malignant melanoma, by age group, persons, UK, 2009 (1, 2, 3) 
			  Cancer Registrations 
			 Age group 2009 
			 <1 0 
			 1-4 0 
			 5-9 0 
			 10-14 9 
			 15-19 52 
			 20-24 148 
		
	
	
		
			 25-29 287 
			 30-34 438 
			 35-39 590 
			 40-44 884 
			 45-49 909 
			 50-54 869 
			 55-59 995 
			 60-64 1,465 
			 65-69 1,249 
			 70-74 1,205 
			 75-79 1,088 
			 80-84 . 847 
			 85+ 845 
			 (1 )Malignant melanoma is coded as C43 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth revision (ICD-10). (2 )Newly diagnosed cases registered in each calendar year. (3 )Figures include data provided by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, the Scottish Cancer Registry and the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry.

Unemployment: Females

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many women were unemployed in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) England in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many women were unemployed in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) England in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011. (80427)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. Unfortunately, the sample size does not support the requested analyses of female unemployment in the Ashfield constituency and Nottinghamshire.
	As an alternative, in Table 1, we have provided the number of women receiving Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) resident in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) England in (i) September 2010 and (ii) September 2011, which is the latest period for which data are available.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and JSA count are available on the Nomis website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1. Number of women resident in (a) Ashfield, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) England claiming jobseeker's allowance in September 2010 and September 2011 
			  September 2010 September 2011 
			 Ashfield 675 894 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,244 5,670 
			 England 365,664 450,198 
			 Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system.

Well-being

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much funding his Department has allocated to the development of the Government's happiness index.

Nick Hurd: holding answer 10 November 2011
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking, how much funding the Cabinet Office has allocated to the development of the Government's Happiness Index (79797).
	The National Statistician is responsible for the development of new measures of national well-being. The 2010 Spending Review settlement provides £2m per year between 2011/12 and 2014/15 for this work, as part of overall ONS funding. This funding covers the whole Measuring National Well-being Programme, including our survey questions on happiness and other aspects of individual well-being, development work on subjective and objective measures, and public consultation.
	The concept of national well-being is about addressing the question "how's the UK doing these days?" National well-being is more than the sum of individual happiness or individual well-being. To measure national well-being we are also capturing other subjective dimensions, such as satisfaction with life and purpose and meaning in life, as well as more objective measures such as unemployment, life expectancy, education levels, and crime. In addition, we are drawing on, and developing, the national economic accounts and the UK environmental accounts.
	Further details of the ONS programme, including our current consultation on the domains and headline indicators of national well-being, can be found on the ONS website:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/well-being/index.html

EDUCATION

Adoption

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how long on average a child spent in a prospective adoptive placement before an adoption order was granted in England in each of the last five years.

Tim Loughton: Information on the average time a child spent in an adoptive placement before an adoption order was granted in England in each of the last five years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Looked-after children who were adopted during the year by the average time between being placed for adoption and being adopted (1,2) , years ending 31 March 2007 to 2011, coverage: England 
			  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 All looked-after children who were adopted during the year ending 31 March (number) 3,330 3,180 3,330 3,200 3,050 
			 Children who were adopted and previously placed for adoption(3) ( )(number) 3,330 3,150 3,280 3,190 3,030 
			 Average time between the child being placed for adoption and the granting of an adoption order (months)(3) 11 10 10 10 10 
			 (1) Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Averages have been rounded to the nearest whole number. (2) Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials. (3) Children have been excluded from the calculation of the average time from placement to adoption where they were adopted by their foster carers but not placed with them for adoption by the local authority. Source: SSDA 903.

Carers: Grandparents

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward legislation to increase the rights of grandparents to (a) have access to and (b) bring up their grandchildren; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: The Government recognise that grandparents can play a very important role in children's lives. We will be considering how best to support relationships between grandparents and their grandchildren, where families separate, in the light of the Family Justice Review panel's final report, published on 3 November. The report highlights the importance to children of relationships with their grandparents.
	Legislation already exists which enables a looked after child to be placed with his or her grandparents. Subject to the child's welfare being met, and arrangements being reasonably practicable, a local authority must first seek to place the child with a person who is: a parent; a person with parental responsibility for the child; or a person in whose favour a residence order has been made. If this is not possible, the local authority must place the child with
	“an individual who is a relative, friend or other person connected [with the child] and who is also a local authority foster parent”.
	This includes grandparents.

Departmental Billing

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in July and August 2010.

Tim Loughton: In the period in question the percentage of valid invoices paid on behalf of the Department for Education within 10 days of receipt was:
	
		
			  Percentage invoices paid within 10 days 
			 July 2010 94.24 
			 August 2010 94.30

Freedom of Information Requests

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 his Department has received in each month since May 2010; how many responses given in each such month disclosed (a) the full information requested, (b) part of the information requested, with some information withheld under exemptions in the Act and (c) none of the information requested; and in respect of how many requests received in each such month (i) (A) substantive and (B) holding responses were issued within 20 working days of the date of receipt, (ii) no substantive response was issued within 40 working days of the date of receipt and (iii) no substantive response has yet been issued.

Tim Loughton: This information can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly and annual statistics on freedom of information requests which can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/foi/implementation-editions.htm
	and copies are available in the House Libraries. Information for the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2011 is not yet available. Statistics on the time taken to respond to cases over 20 working days in 2011 will be published in the annual report.

Freedom of Information Requests

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which Minister in his Department is responsible for determining whether exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 should apply to responses to requests for information under the Act; and which other Minister is responsible for making such determinations should the subject matter of the request fall within the ministerial responsibilities of the Minister with lead responsibility.

Tim Loughton: Departmental officials would normally determine whether exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 should apply to responses to requests for information under the Act.
	However, the exemption to disclosure under section 36 (prejudice to the effective conduct of public affairs) can be used only if it is the reasonable opinion of a qualified person that the exemption applies. In relation to information held by government, the qualified person must be a Minister. In the Department, one Minister has lead responsibility for freedom of information and considers the use of section 36 unless the subject matter lies within his ministerial responsibilities, in which case any other Minister acts as the qualified person.

Head Teachers: Recruitment

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans his Department has to prevent underperforming head teachers from moving between schools.

Nick Gibb: It is the responsibility of employers to decide who they appoint. They should make recruitment decisions based on all the available information, including taking up references when considering their suitability for the post.

Home Education: Vetting

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to strengthen (a) criminal records and (b) other checks in relation to the employment of home tutors.

Tim Loughton: If a tutor is supplied by an agency, the agency can already require a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check on the tutor. In addition, a parent will be able to undertake a barred list check on a private tutor, under changes we are proposing to the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.

JUSTICE

Administration of Justice: Translation Services

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he plans to take to maintain quality standards under the new system for the delivery of interpreter and translation services across the criminal justice system.

Crispin Blunt: The Framework Agreement we have signed is clear about the quality standards that are expected, including qualifications, experience and vetting. It requires the collection of detailed and meaningful management information, uses comprehensive key performance indicators, and will be properly managed.
	There is an additional requirement for all face-to-face foreign language interpreters to undertake an assessment of ability. All interpreters will be required to undertake continuous professional development and abide by a comprehensive code of conduct which further emphasises that they should only undertake assignments which they are competent to undertake.
	This, and the other requirements under the framework, will ensure that the justice sector continues to have access to interpreters of the appropriate quality.

Applied Language Solutions

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the compliance of Applied Language Solutions with Principle 8 of Schedule 1 to the Data Protection Act 1998 in respect of storage of translators' personal details and communication of information relating to the investigation of criminal offences; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether Applied Language Solutions has a (a) data centre and (b) call centre in India;
	(3)  if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's contract with Applied Language Solutions;
	(4)  what assessment his Department has made of the (a) use of mezzanine funding, (b) creditors amounts falling due within one year and (c) general financial viability of Applied Language Solutions prior to awarding it a contract for translation services; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: Applied Learning Solutions (ALS) were assessed to ensure compliance with data protection regulations during the pre-qualification stage of the competition. All ALS offices, wherever their location, meet the requirements of data protection. Schedule 4 of the DPA is explicit that Principle 8 does not apply when “The data subject has given his consent to the transfer”. The terms and conditions of registration as a linguist with Applied Language Solutions (ALS) provide for positive consent to personal data being shared across ALS's offices, irrespective of location, and this is explicitly stated. Any linguist who agrees to these terms and conditions has given permission for their details to be shared outside of the EEA.
	Applied Language Solutions do have a data centre and call centre in India.
	A redacted copy of the framework agreement is available in the public domain on the Business Link Contracts Finder website at the following address:
	http://www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/Common/View%20Notice.aspx?site_=1000&lang=en&noticeid=264052&fs=true
	The Ministry of Justice assesses the use of mezzanine funding dependent upon circumstances. In the case of ALS it was considered that their funding and financial position was and remains consistent with a striving, young company which, with appropriate financial aid provided by the mezzanine funding mechanism, is able to provide innovative and technical solutions. The assessment of creditors falling due within one year is nil. The general financial assessment of the company was considered during the pre-qualification stage of the tender process. This involved looking at available financial and other information and was entirely in keeping with usual practice.

Approved Premises: Per Capita Costs

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his most recent estimate is of the average annual cost of a place in approved premises in (a) England and (b) Wales.

Crispin Blunt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 18 January 2011, Official Report, column 678W. The allocation of funding is based on the same formula irrespective of location.

Bail Accommodation and Support Service

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department has issued any further guidance to BASS on the operation of accommodation beyond its original contract with his Department.

Crispin Blunt: Operational guidance on the bail accommodation and support service (BASS) is provided in Prison Service Instruction 34/2010 and Probation Instruction 09/2010 effective from the start of the contract with Stonham on 18 June 2010. Further guidance has not been issued.
	I have received no representations.

Bell Pottinger Group

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) political advisers in his Department have met representatives of (i) Bell Pottinger Group or (ii) each of its subsidiaries in the last five years; on what dates any such meetings took place; and what was discussed.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice publishes hospitality received by Ministers and special advisers and details of ministerial meetings with external organisations. These are published on the Ministry of Justice website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/corporate-reports/moj/index.htm
	The latest data have been sent to the Cabinet Office and are awaiting publication. Relevant information will be included on these returns.
	The Ministry of Justice does not centrally record meetings attended by all officials in the Department, To collate the remaining information for the time period stated would exceed the cost limit for answering parliamentary questions.

Chief Coroner

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the benefits of appointing a chief coroner.

Jonathan Djanogly: An impact assessment for Part 1 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 was published by the Ministry of Justice in January 2009. This summarised the full costs and benefits of implementing the coroner provisions in the Act. The Government have considered this and have determined that no further assessment is required.

Coroners

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance his Department provides to coroners on the sale by them of coroners' recovery services to funeral directors.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), has responsibility for coroner policy and legislation but no operational responsibility for the coroner service. Coroners are independent judicial office holders who are appointed and funded by their local authorities.
	All decisions in relation to funding for the running of the coroner service, including those on the commissioning of funeral directors for body transportation of deaths reported to coroners, are solely for coroners and their local authorities.

Cremation

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking in respect of the disposal of cremated remains held by undertakers without instructions.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Cremation (England and Wales) Regulations 2008 only make provision for the disposal of cremated remains by cremation authorities if they are not claimed by the applicant for cremation or there are no instructions for disposal. They do not make provision for how funeral directors can dispose of cremated remains that are retained by them as there is no power to regulate funeral directors in cremation legislation. There are also no plans to bring forward legislation to this effect.
	Funeral directors should only take cremated human remains from the cremation authority on the understanding that they are to be passed on to the applicant for cremation at the earliest opportunity. If, for some reason, the funeral director cannot contact the applicant for cremation, or the applicant for cremation no longer wants the cremated remains, he/she should seek their own legal advice on the disposal of the cremated remains.
	The Government understand that the National Association of Funeral Directors is considering issuing guidance to its members on this matter.

Cremation

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  whether his Department has plans to extend the choice available to the public on how they are buried or cremated;
	(2)  whether he has any plans to consult on the use of alkaline hydrolysis in relation to body disposal.

Jonathan Djanogly: Alkaline hydrolysis and other alternatives to cremation (such as Promession™ and Cryomation®) do not involve the burning of human remains and so fall outside the regulatory framework as provided in the Cremation Act 1902 and the Cremation (England and Wales) Regulations 2008. They are therefore neither prohibited nor permitted by law but their use would need to comply with local planning, health and safety and environmental legislation.
	Primary legislation would be required to give the power for Government to regulate alternatives to cremation in England and Wales. There are no plans to introduce or amend the law at present. The Ministry of Justice has no plans at present to consult on the introduction of alternatives to cremation in England and Wales but may revisit this position in due course.

Criminal Proceedings: Translation Services

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what criteria will be used to decide in which tier interpreter and translation will be placed under the new system for delivery of interpreters and translators services in the criminal justice system;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the (a) hourly, (b) daily rate of pay for interpreter and translators within (i) tier 1, (ii) tier 2 and (iii) tier 3 of the new system for delivery of interpreters and translators services in the criminal justice system;
	(3)  whether he expects the number of interpreters and translators on the National Register of Public Service Interpreters to increase following changes to the system for delivery of interpreters and translators services in the criminal justice system;
	(4)  when he expects to withdraw from the national agreement on arrangements for the use of interpreters, translators and language service professionals in investigations and proceedings within the criminal justice system.

Crispin Blunt: Under the new system, assignment into tiers for foreign language interpreters is dependent on a range of criteria including the qualifications and experience possessed by the individual and their assessment centre performance. I understand that Middlesex university will carry out those assessments independent of the Ministry of Justice and the supplier, using marking criteria which assesses an interpreter's coherence, accuracy, fluency and ability to convey the speaker's intended effect. There is no tiering for translators.
	Rates of pay are a matter between the supplier and individual linguist. However I understand the hourly rate of pay for foreign language interpreters to be £22 for Tier 1, £20 for Tier 2 and £16 for Tier 3. Travel allowances may be payable with the agreement of the supplier. Translators will continue to be paid by the word, as they are at present.
	It is a matter for individual interpreters and translators as to whether they wish to register with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters. This register is entirely independent of Government. However, ensuring interpretation and translation is of the appropriate quality and widening the available pool of interpreters are fundamental elements of this reform, and have always been so. Under the Framework Agreement the supplier will be required to increase the numbers of appropriately qualified interpreters available for use by the justice sector generally, but particularly in relation to those languages and areas of the country where coverage is currently insufficient to meet operational needs. They will also be required to plan for future language demand. This will ensure that we have interpreters in the languages we need, in the areas we need them. There are no current concerns about the number of available translators.
	A move to the Framework Agreement will probably render the National Agreement redundant and we expect to withdraw it in due course, but a date has not been fixed. In the short-term, parts of the National Agreement will be disapplied to organisations with contracts under the MOJ Framework Agreement.

Dangerous Dogs: Prosecutions

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions have been brought under the provisions of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in each of the last five years; and what the estimated cost to the public purse was of such prosecutions in each such year.

Crispin Blunt: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in England and Wales for the years 2006 to 2010 (latest available) can be viewed in the table.
	Information on the estimated cost to the public purse for prosecutions on individual offences is not collated centrally.
	Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring of 2012.
	
		
			 Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, England and Wales 2006 - 10 (1,2) 
			  Proceeded against 
			  2006 2007 2008 (3) 2009 2010 
			 Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 1,077 1,193 1,247 1,254 1,705 
			 (1) ( )The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) ( )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) ( )Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

Family Courts

David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he proposes to publish a response to the Family Justice Review published by David Norgrove.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Government welcome the publication of the Family Justice Review.
	We recognise the serious concerns about the family justice system highlighted in the review. We have already announced our intention to introduce a six-month time limit in care proceedings, as part of a package of reform to tackle delays in these cases.
	We intend to respond promptly to the review’s final report, but we need to give their detailed recommendations the full consideration they deserve. We will therefore respond as soon as possible.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the average annual cost to the HM Courts and Tribunals Service of cases involving litigants in person; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: HMCTS holds information relating to the percentage of litigants in person for family business and civil trials heard in the county courts and the number of Crown court sitting days relating to cases for which at least one of the defendants was unrepresented for some part of the duration of the case.
	We do not hold information in sufficient detail for litigants in person for the tribunals service, pre-trial civil business, litigants in person for magistrates courts cases, or High Court and Appeal Court cases involving litigants in person.
	Therefore, for those areas where data are held, the estimated cost to HMCTS for litigants in person in 2010-11 was around £137 million. This comprises £125 million for family business in the county court; £10 million for civil trials and £2 million for the cost of cases in the Crown court.

Immigrants: Families

Rehman Chishti: UKHL 11.

Kenneth Clarke: In the Home Office's recent consultation on family migration, the Home Secretary sought views on how a proper balance should be struck between the individual's right to respect for a private and family life and the wider public interest in protecting the public and controlling immigration. On 4 October the Home Secretary made clear her intention to revise the Immigration Rules to reinforce the public interest, in relation to cases engaging Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, in respect of foreign nationals convicted of a criminal offence or who have breached our immigration laws being removed from the UK.
	The Government have no current plans for legislation in relation to the House of Lords decision in Huang.

Legal Aid Scheme: Prisoners

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the total legal aid funding was for 2010-11 for prisoners currently serving indeterminate sentences in England and Wales for proceedings in the family courts relating to (a) custody of children, (b) adoption of children, (c) contact with children and (d) parental responsibility;
	(2)  what the total legal aid funding was for 2010-11 for prisoners currently serving sentences in England and Wales for sexual offences against adults for proceedings in the family courts relating to (a) custody of children, (b) adoption of children, (c) contact with children and (d) parental responsibility.

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how much legal aid funding was given to prisoners serving sentences for sexual offences against children for proceedings in the family courts relating to (a) custody of children, (b) adoption of children, (c) contact with children and (d) parental responsibility in England and Wales in 2010-11;
	(2)  how much legal aid funding was given to prisoners serving indeterminate sentences for proceedings in the family courts relating to (a) custody of children, (b) adoption of children, (c) contact with children and (d) parental responsibility in England and Wales in 2010-11;
	(3)  how much legal aid funding was given to prisoners serving sentences for sexual offences against adults for proceedings in the family courts relating to (a) custody of children, (b) adoption of children, (c) contact with children and (d) parental responsibility in England and Wales in 2010-11.

Jonathan Djanogly: The information requested is not available; the Legal Services Commission (LSC) does not centrally record whether or not an applicant for legal aid is serving a prison sentence.

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to publish a revised impact assessment for Part 3 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice published individual impact assessments as the new Government amendments were tabled at Committee and Report in the House of Commons relating to Part 3 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill. These can be viewed on the MOJ website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/bills-and-acts/bills/legal-aid-and-sentencing-bill.htm
	A revised impact assessment for Part 3 of the Bill is expected to be published in the week commencing 14 November 2011.

Offensive Weapons: Offences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the highest number of previous convictions for possession of a bladed article was for an individual convicted of such an offence without being sent to prison in each of the last three years; and how many offences that individual had committed in total at the point of sentence for this offence.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the highest number of previous convictions for possession of an article with a blade or point, for individuals convicted of this offence in the years 2008 to 2010 who received a sentence other than immediate custody. It also shows their total number of previous cautions and convictions. Although these individuals did not go to prison for their index offence, they have all previously been to prison for the same offence. The figures for 2008 and 2010 refer to the same individual.
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
	
		
			 Highest number of previous convictions for having an article with a blade or point, when convicted of this offence in England and Wales in the years 2008 - 10, and not going to prison 
			 Number of previous offences 
			  2008 2009 2010 
			 Previous convictions for having an article with a blade or a point in a public place or on school premises 12 12 15 
			 Previous cautions and convictions for any offence at time of conviction 30 68 41 
			 Previous immediate custodial sentences 5 36 9

Pensions: Misrepresentation

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department has put in place any arrangements with EMC Advisory Services Ltd to provide advice to people who have been mis-sold endowment policies; and if he will make a statement.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the direct regulation of claims management services and I can confirm that EMC Advisory Services Ltd (EMC) has been a regulated claims management company since 23 February 2007. EMC is authorised to provide regulated claims services in the financial products and services sector, which includes mis-sold endowment policies. Authorisation is not, however, an endorsement by the Ministry of Justice and there are no other arrangements in place with EMC.

Prisoners: Ex-servicemen

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many former soldiers are resident in HMP (a) Durham, (b) Manchester, (c) Preston and (d) Lancaster.

Crispin Blunt: Details of whether prisoners have previously served in the army is not routinely collated by the Ministry of Justice. A breakdown of the numbers of Army veterans by individual establishment could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by collecting information held on individuals on local data systems, validating it against MOD records, and then collating it in a common format in order to provide a response.
	A snapshot of the number of regular veterans of the armed forces in prison nationally was collated and published by the MOD's Defence Analytical Services Advice (DASA) in September 2010.

Sark

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make it his policy to support an application from the Isle of Sark to the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) for listing in ISO 3166.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice would consider a formal application from Sark to approach the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) for listing in ISO 3166, should the Sark authorities wish to make one.

Sexual Offences: Crime Prevention

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to provide support for circles of accountability and support to extend their operations to reduce sex offending.

Crispin Blunt: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and Ministry of Justice support the circles of support and accountability (COSA) by means of a grant to Circles UK. Using that grant, Circles UK supports the development of new COSAs in England and Wales. Circles UK also sets and maintains standards by quality assuring existing COSA projects. NOMS will continue to fund Circles UK through 2012-13.
	COSAs are commissioned at a local level by probation trusts and other criminal justice agencies. The number of COSAs in England and Wales affiliated to Circles UK increased from 65 in September 2010 to 71 in September 2011.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the funding settlement between his Department and the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission for the three years from 31 March 2012 has been determined.

Maria Miller: Funding settlements have been agreed up to and including 31 March 2012; the settlement for the following three years will be determined at the appropriate time.

Child Support Agency

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  (a) how many and (b) what proportion of cases within the live and assessed caseload of the Child Support Agency are between one and three years old;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of live and assessed cases of the Child Support Agency are cases (a) between three and five, (b) between five and 10, (c) between 10 and 15 and (d) over 15 years old.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the child maintenance commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Noel Shanahan
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	; and
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of live and assessed cases of the Child Support Agency are cases (a) between three and five, (b) between five and 10, (c) between 10 and 15 and (d) over 15 years old.
	The table below shows the age of live and assessed cases as at the end of June 2011 measured from the application start date of the case.
	
		
			 Age of case Number of cases Proportion of cases (Percentage) 
			 Under 1 year 79,500 7 
			 1 to 3 years 137,900 12 
			 3 to 5 years 181,000 16 
			 5 to 10 years 343,600 30 
			 10 to 15 years 255,000 22 
			 Over 15 years 140,900 12 
		
	
	
		
			 Unknown 5,600 0 
			 Notes: 1. Figures may not sum due to rounding. 2. Figures include cases administered off the main computer system. 3. The live and assessed caseload includes open cases with an ongoing child maintenance liability, cases which have been assessed as nil-liability and cases where arrears of maintenance have been requested. 4. The application start date is based on the date when a customer first made contact with the Child Support Agency. 5. The age of cases administered off the main computer system are measured from application start date of the case as recorded on CS2 computer system prior to the case being progressed off-system. 6. Cases with an unknown age are cases administered off-system which do not have an application start date recorded on the CS2 computer system. 
		
	
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Crisis Loans

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many defaults there were in repayment of social fund crisis loans in each of the last 12 months.

Steve Webb: The number of crisis loan write-offs in the 2010-11 financial year was as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 April 2010 442 
			 May 2010 304 
			 June 2010 261 
			 July 2010 874 
			 August 2010 323 
			 September 2010 444 
			 October 2010 917 
			 November 2010 416 
			 December 2010 523 
			 January 2011 471 
			 February 2011 465 
			 March 2011 1,907 
			 Total 7,347 
		
	
	Data have been included for the financial year 2010-11, the latest year for which the audited social fund account is available.

Crisis Loans

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent pursuing the recovery of social fund crisis loans on which individuals had defaulted in the last five years.

Steve Webb: Where an individual is in receipt of benefit, recovery of a social fund crisis loan can be made automatically from ongoing benefit in most cases. When an individual ceases to receive a benefit, then the Department’s debt management group will seek to set up a repayment plan to recover any outstanding balance. Information is not available specifically on costs relating to such individuals who are in default, however, the costs incurred in seeking recovery of social fund crisis loans where the customer is no longer in receipt of benefit are detailed in the following table. The information is only available from 2009-10.
	
		
			  £ 
			 2009-10 652,030 
			 2010-11 483,089 
			 2011 (April to October inclusive) 351,109

Crisis Loans

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals making a third application for a social fund crisis loan within a 12 month period were required to attend a face-to-face interview at a jobcentre in the latest period for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: The number of social fund crisis loan applicants required to attend the face-to-face third application interview from November 2010 to October 2011 inclusive was 487,498.
	Of these the number that actually attended their interviews was 311,276.
	These statistics are obtained from the Labour Market System and are not published.

Crisis Loans

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for a social fund crisis loan were made by people (a) under 18, (b) between 18 and 29, (c) between 30 and 49, (d) between 50 and 65 and (e) over 65 years old in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: The information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Crisis loans in 2010-11 by age band 
			 Age Number of awards Percentage 
			 Under 18 256,300 7.8 
			 18 to 29 1,584,600 48.1 
			 30 to 49 1,208,400 36.7 
			 50 to 65 230,000 7.0 
			 Over 65 13,600 0.4 
			 Total 3,292,900 — 
			 Notes: 1. The information provided is Management Information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we only have Management Information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National statistics and there are some issues with the data, for example, it does not include applications which were processed clerically and have not yet been entered on to the social fund computer system. 2. Figures are for applications received, not for the number of people who made an application as some people made more than one application.

Crisis Loans

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for a Social Fund crisis loan were made by (a) women and (b) men in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: The information is as follows:
	
		
			 Crisis loan applications in 2010-11 by gender 
			 Gender Number of awards Percentage 
			 Female 1,231,500 37.4 
			 Male 2,058,900 62.5 
			 Unknown 2,500 0.1 
		
	
	
		
			 Total 3,292,900  
			 Notes: 1. The information provided is management information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we only have management information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National statistics and there are some issues with the data, for example, it does not include applications which were processed clerically and have not yet been entered on to the social fund computer system. 2. Figures are for applications received, not for the number of people who made an application as some people made more than one application.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of allowing the partner of a claimant in receipt of income-related employment and support allowance to earn up to £143 per week before their income is treated as the income of the claimant in each of the next five years.

Chris Grayling: The practical effect of this change would be that the Department would be required to disregard £143 per week of a partner's earnings when calculating entitlement to income-related employment and support allowance (ESA) for all income-related ESA claimants with a working partner.
	The effect is likely to be very large, leading to an increase in payments for each individual affected of up to £7,500 per year on ESA alone. It is estimated that those affected would see an average increase in their income-related ESA of around £90 per week.
	Initial analysis based on the year 2012-13 suggests expenditure on ESA might increase by an estimated £500 million, rising over time in line with the ESA case load forecasts. In addition the knock-on effects in housing benefit and council tax benefit might add a further £50 million per year in expenditure.
	It is assumed the disregard for council tax benefit and housing benefit would also have to be amended to bring it in line with the ESA disregard. This adds an additional estimated £50 million per year to the expenditure.

Pension Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants in receipt of pension credit he estimates have capital above (a) £16,000, (b) £20,000, (c) £30,000 and (d) each £10,000 interval up to £100,000.

Steve Webb: The information requested is in the following table:
	
		
			 Number of people in receipt of pension credit with capital over £16,000, February 2011 
			 Amount of capital Number in receipt of pension credit 
			 Over £16,000 to £20,000 47,600 
			 Over £20,000 to £30,000 62,500 
			 Over £30,000 to £40,000 24,100 
			 Over £40,000 to £50,000 8,700 
			 Over £50,000 to £60,000 4,300 
			 Over £60,000 to £70,000 1,500 
		
	
	
		
			 Over £70,000 to £80,000 800 
			 Over £80,000 to £90,000 (1)200 
			 Over £90,000 to £100,000 (1)100 
			 (1) Numbers are based on very few sample cases and are subject to a high degree of sampling variation. Notes: 1. For pension credit the first £10,000 of capital is disregarded. For capital over this amount £1 per week for every £500 or part £500 is taken into account when working out entitlement. 2. The best statistics on benefits are now derived from 100% data sources. However the 5% sample data still provide some detail not yet available from the 100% data sources. The proportions from the 5% sample data have been used and applied to the overall 100% total for the benefit to determine the number with capital over £16,000 in receipt of pension credit. 3. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 4. Analysis suggests that those with higher levels of capital are likely to be income poor, although it is difficult to determine income levels as entitlement to additional amounts increases the level of the guarantee, which in turn can increase overall entitlement to pension credit. Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5% sample.

Pensions

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department provides guidance to people considering opting out of private and company pension plans.

Steve Webb: The Department currently provides information via Directgov and in leaflet form about planning for retirement, pensions and the benefits and risks of saving including some information on if you stop contributing to a pension. New material is being developed to support the introduction of automatic enrolment in 2012. This material will be available early in 2012 and will cover opting out.
	Provision of information in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Department for Social Development. However the provision generally mirrors that in Great Britain.

Pensions

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has had discussions with his Israeli counterpart on pensions policy.

Steve Webb: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), has not met with his Israeli counterpart to discuss pensions policy, nor are there any plans to do so in the near future.

Social Security Benefits

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which benefits were uprated for financial year 2011-12 using the September 2010 Consumer Prices Index measure of inflation.

Steve Webb: The following shows social security benefits and their relevant components that were up-rated by September 2010 CPI in 2011-12. Benefit rates in 2011-12 are published in the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2011.
	Next year’s proposed benefit rates will be announced to Parliament by ministerial statement later in the autumn.
	Social security benefits up-rated by September 2010 CPI in 2011-12
	Attendance allowance
	higher rate
	lower rate
	Carer's allowance
	Council tax benefit
	Personal allowances
	single
	18 to 24
	25 or over
	entitled to main phase ESA
	lone parent
	couple
	dependent children
	Premiums
	family
	disability
	single
	couple
	enhanced disability
	single
	couple
	severe disability
	single
	couple (lower rate)
	couple (higher rate)
	carer
	ESA components
	work-related activity
	support
	Dependency increases
	Adult dependency increases for spouse or person looking after children—payable with;
	state pension on own insurance (Cat A or B)
	state pension (non-contributory, Cat C)
	long term incapacity benefit
	unemployability supplement.
	Severe disablement allowance
	Carers allowance
	short-term incapacity benefit (over state pension age)
	short-term incapacity benefit (under state pension age)
	Disability living allowance
	Care component
	highest
	middle
	lowest
	Mobility component
	higher
	lower
	Employment and support allowance
	Personal allowances
	single
	under 25
	25 or over
	lone parent
	under 18
	18 or over
	couple
	both under 18
	both under 18 with child
	both under 18 (main phase)
	both under 18 with child (main phase)
	one 18 or over, one under 18
	both over 18
	claimant under 25, partner under 18
	claimant 25 or over, partner under 18
	claimant (main phase), partner under 18
	Premiums
	enhanced disability
	single
	couple
	severe disability
	single
	couple (lower rate)
	couple (higher rate)
	carer
	Components
	work-related activity
	support
	Housing benefit
	Personal allowances
	single
	under 25
	25 or over
	entitled to main phase ESA
	lone parent
	under 18
	18 or over
	entitled to main phase ESA
	couple
	both under 18
	one or both 18 or over
	claimant entitled to main phase ESA
	dependent children
	Premiums
	family
	disability
	single
	couple
	Enhanced disability
	single
	couple
	Severe disability
	single
	couple (lower rate)
	couple (higher rate)
	Carer
	ESA components
	work-related activity
	support
	Incapacity benefit
	Long-term incapacity benefit
	Short-term incapacity benefit (under state pension age)
	lower rate
	higher rate
	Short-term incapacity benefit (over state pension age)
	lower rate
	higher rate
	Income support
	Personal Allowances
	single
	under 25
	25 or over
	lone parent
	under 18
	18 or over
	couple
	both under 18
	both under 18—higher rate
	one under 18, one under 25
	one under 18, one 25 and over
	both 18 or over
	Premiums
	disability
	single
	couple
	Enhanced disability
	single
	couple
	severe disability
	single
	couple (lower rate)
	couple (higher rate)
	carer
	Relevant sum for strikers
	Industrial injuries disablement benefit
	18 and over, or under 18 with dependants
	100%
	Under 18
	100%
	Maximum life gratuity (lump sum)
	Unemployability supplement
	increase for early incapacity
	higher rate
	middle rate
	lower rate
	Constant attendance allowance
	exceptional rate
	intermediate rate
	normal maximum rate
	part-time rate
	Jobseeker's allowance
	Contribution based JSA—Personal rates
	under 25
	25 or over
	Income-based JSA—personal allowances
	under 25
	25 or over
	lone parent
	under 18
	18 or over
	couple
	both under 18
	both under 18—higher rate
	one under 18, one under 25
	one under 18, one 25 and over
	both 18 or over
	Premiums
	disability
	single
	couple
	enhanced disability
	single
	couple
	severe disability
	single
	couple (lower rate)
	couple (higher rate)
	carer
	Prescribed sum for strikers
	Maternity allowance
	Standard rate
	Pension credit
	Additional amount for severe disability
	single
	couple (one qualifies)
	couple (both qualify)
	Additional amount for carers
	Pneumoconiosis, byssinosis, and miscellaneous diseases scheme and the workmen's compensation (supplementation)
	Total disablement allowance and major incapacity allowance (maximum)
	Partial disablement allowance
	Unemployability supplement
	increases for early incapacity
	higher rate
	middle rate
	lower rate
	Constant attendance allowance
	exceptional rate
	intermediate rate
	normal maximum rate
	part-time rate
	Exceptionally severe disablement allowance
	Lesser incapacity allowance
	maximum rate of allowance
	based on loss of earnings over
	State pension
	Additional pension
	Increments to:
	basic pension
	additional pension
	graduated Retirement Benefit (GRB)
	inheritable lump sum
	Graduated retirement benefit (unit)
	Increase of long term incapacity for age
	Increase of long-term incapacity for age
	higher rate
	lower rate
	Invalidity allowance (transitional) for state pension recipients
	higher rate
	middle rate
	lower rate
	Severe disablement allowance
	Basic rate
	Statutory adoption pay
	Standard Rate
	Statutory maternity pay
	Standard rate
	Statutory paternity pay
	Standard rate
	Statutory sick pay
	Standard rate
	Widows benefit
	Widowed mother's allowance
	Widow's pension
	standard rate
	Bereavement benefit
	Widowed parent's allowance
	Bereavement Allowance
	standard rate

Social Security Benefits

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department plans to levy charges to provide a paper copy of a change notification for benefit entitlement.

Chris Grayling: Benefit entitlement changes are notified by paper and no charges are levied.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether households moving on to universal credit from other benefits between October 2013 and April 2014 will receive transitional protection of the level of their state support.

Chris Grayling: We will offer transitional protection to universal credit recipients. This will ensure that they will not receive less as a result of their move to universal credit, where circumstances have remained the same.
	The process of migrating claimants to universal credit will have an impact on transitional protection. Some claimants will move to the universal credit system naturally as circumstances in a current claim change. Other people will be moved over in a process managed by DWP. Transitional protection will only be applied in the latter circumstances and where universal credit would otherwise be lower than the total current award of benefit and tax credit.
	We believe it is right to cushion recipients who are affected against a change that the Government are imposing. However it is not appropriate to protect legacy benefit amounts when circumstances underlying an award are no longer recognisable as those on which the legacy calculation was made.
	It is currently expected that managed moves will commence in April 2014, and so transitional protection will only apply from this time.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the universal credit of an average household of two adults and two children would be withdrawn if the household has savings of (a) £15,900 and (b) £16,100.

Chris Grayling: We will set a capital cut-off in universal credit at £16,000 (both for single claimants and couples making a joint claim). Capital in excess of £6,000 will be treated as equivalent to a weekly income (known as “tariff income”) of £1 per week for each complete £250 over this £6,000 floor. Capital under £6,000 will be disregarded. These rules will apply to all elements of universal credit.
	Therefore:
	(a) If a household had savings of £15,900 then their universal credit award would be reduced by £39 a week, which is a £1 reduction for every £250 of savings over £6,000.
	(b) Claimants who have more than £16,000 capital will not meet the financial conditions to claim universal credit.

Winter Fuel Payments

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people will receive winter fuel payments in (a) Wallasey constituency, (b) the Wirral, (c) the North West, (d) England and (e) the UK in 2011-12.

Steve Webb: The information for winter 2010-11 (the latest winter for which information is available) is provided in the documents—winter fuel payment recipients 2010-11 by parliamentary constituencies and gender (all) and winter fuel payment recipients 2010-11 by local authority and gender (all). These are available in the Commons Library and on the internet at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=wfp
	The number of people receiving winter fuel payments is expected to reduce slightly each winter due to the rise in the qualifying age linked to women's state pension age. However we expect the numbers to be broadly similar in winter 2011-12.

Work Capability Assessment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 24 October 2011, Official Report, column 109W, on work capability assessment, what representations he has received from groups representing sufferers of (a) Parkinson's disease and (b) multiple sclerosis.

Chris Grayling: The Department values the views of a wide range of disability groups and we are engaged in ongoing and helpful dialogue both at ministerial and official level with group representatives. A full list of ministerial meetings is available at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/corporate-publications/ministers-meetings-overseas.shtml
	In addition, representatives from both Parkinson's UK and the MS Society form part of the group of charities and experts asked by Professor Malcolm Harrington to provide recommendations for refinement of the descriptors in relation to fluctuating conditions used in the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) as part of his second Independent Review of the WCA. We look forward to receiving these recommendations from Professor Harrington.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2011, Official Report, column 67W, on the Work programme, if he will assess the desirability of statutory restrictions on sharing performance data for (a) Work programme and (b) Flexible New Deal providers.

Chris Grayling: We are clear that the UK Statistics Authority guidelines are to be followed to ensure that data are accurate and timely. Therefore the plan for Work programme data release will go ahead as previously stated.
	The figures setting out the job outcomes for Flexible New Deal have been published on the DWP website at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=ddfnd

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will provide data in April 2013 on referrals to (a) Tier 1 and (b) Tier 2 providers by Work programme prime contractors.

Chris Grayling: The Department intends to publish official statistics on referrals to the Work programme from spring 2012 and on job outcomes from autumn 2012. This is in line with guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure published statistics meet the required high quality standards.

TRANSPORT

Air Travel Organisers' Licence

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she plans to include in the ATOL scheme holidays sold by airlines.

Theresa Villiers: The ATOL Reform Consultation, which took place between 23 June and 15 September 2011, asked whether airline holiday sales should be brought under the protection of the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (ATOL) scheme. To do so would require new primary legislation. We are currently analysing the consultation responses and plan to announce the decision on this later in the year.

Air Travel Organisers' Licence

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will include within her Department's proposed ATOL reforms a provision that a customer would be issued an ATOL certificate notifying them when their travel arrangements are not ATOL protected in addition to when they are ATOL protected.

Theresa Villiers: This is not a proposal I am considering since current legislation does not enable us to impose ATOL related requirements on holidays not covered by the ATOL scheme.
	However, the proposed reforms we are considering and work already under way by the Civil Aviation Authority are designed to raise awareness among holiday-makers of the importance of checking whether their travel plans have ATOL protection. The introduction of the ATOL certificate should help ensure that consumers find it easier to understand which holidays have ATOL protection and which do not. We encourage all consumers to consider carefully what insurance or financial protection they might need before making their holiday choice, particularly where they choose an option which is not within the ATOL scheme.
	It is important that businesses provide consumers with all the information they need to make an informed choice about financial protection. We and the Civil Aviation Authority are working with the Office of Fair Trading to educate businesses about the risk of their communications misleading customers about the level of protection being provided with a holiday and consequently breaching the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading regulations.
	I intend to announce the final decisions on the details of the ATOL reforms consulted on over the summer, including the ATOL certificate, later in the year.

Airlines: Standards

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people required repatriation from overseas as a result of the failure of an airline in the last 10 years.

Theresa Villiers: The information requested is not available as there is no statutory scheme to repatriate airline passengers in the event of an airline insolvency.
	The Air Travel Organiser’s Licensing (ATOL) scheme run by the Civil Aviation Authority repatriates travellers whose holiday falls within the scope of the scheme (and on which an ATOL levy has been paid) if their tour operator becomes insolvent. Around 126,000 holidaymakers have benefited from this over the past 10 years.
	Information about the cause of each tour operator failure is not readily available. Some repatriated holidaymakers will have been on a package holiday with a tour operator that was owned by an airline or part of the same group as an airline.

Aviation: Baggage

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  from which airlines she has received representations concerning restrictions or charges on passengers for bringing duty free and travel purchases onboard in addition to their normal airline hand baggage allowance;
	(2)  what her policy is on the imposition by airlines of restrictions or charges on passengers for bringing duty-free and travel retail purchases onboard in addition to their standard airline baggage allowance.

Theresa Villiers: The Department has received no such representations from airlines.
	The size and amount of cabin or hold baggage that a passenger is permitted to take on board a commercial aircraft is a matter for airlines to decide as private sector companies.

Chief Scientific Adviser

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects to fill the position of chief scientific adviser in her Department.

Michael Penning: We are currently at an advanced stage of a recruitment campaign to fill the position of chief scientific adviser.

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many full-time equivalent staff are employed on consultancy contracts in her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The Department does not employ full-time equivalent staff on consultancy contracts. However, the Department does engage full-time equivalent staff via “contingent labour” contracts. At present there are 21 such full-time equivalent contractors within the Department.

Departmental Fines

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many transport-related fines her Department has settled on behalf of its staff; and at what cost in each year since 2007.

Norman Baker: It is Department for Transport policy that staff are expected to pay transport-related fines, e.g. parking tickets, without recourse to public funds.
	The only exceptions to this policy are where parking fines are incurred due to operational necessity. The Government Car and Despatch Agency pay fines arising where the overriding security requirements of high profile passengers or sensitive documents dictate the choice of parking location. In addition the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency pay parking fines necessarily incurred in exceptional circumstances such as extended court appearances. Details of these payments are not recorded centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Freedom of Information Requests

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 her Department has received in each month since May 2010; how many responses given in each such month disclosed (a) the full information requested, (b) part of the information requested, with some information withheld under exemptions in the Act and (c) none of the information requested; and in respect of how many requests received in each such month (i) (A) substantive and (B) holding responses were issued within 20 working days of the date of receipt, (ii) no substantive response was issued within 40 working days of the date of receipt and (iii) no substantive response has yet been issued;
	(2)  in respect of how many responses to requests for information received by her Department under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 the reason of (a) commercially sensitive information, (b) information not held, (c) information too costly to provide and (d) vexatious or repeated requests has been given in response since January 2010.

Norman Baker: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. FOI case statistics are compiled separately for the central Department and each of the seven agencies.
	Statistics are aggregated each quarter and annually for publication by the Ministry of Justice. The Department's statistics for 2010 and for the first and second quarters of 2011 can be found at
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/foi/implementation-editions.htm
	Statistics for the third quarter will be published later this year.

Freedom of Information Requests

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which Minister in her Department is responsible for determining whether exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 should apply to responses to requests for information made under the Act; and which other Minister is responsible for making such determinations should the subject matter of the request fall within the ministerial responsibilities of the Minister with lead responsibility.

Norman Baker: Decisions on whether exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act apply to responses to requests are generally taken not by a Minister but by the head of the business unit concerned (usually at SCS pay band 1 level).
	The Minister responsible for the policy or business area covered by the request ordinarily acts as the qualified person in determining whether the exemption in section 36 of the Act should apply. The decision on whether the section 36 exemption applies may however be taken by any Minister in the Department.

Public Sector: Bonuses

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials in her Department received a bonus in each year since 2007.

Norman Baker: The following table shows the number and the percentage of civil servants in the Department for Transport and its seven executive agencies who received a non-consolidated performance payment in each financial year since 2007.
	Payments made in a financial year relate to performance in the previous year. Most payments are well under £1,000.
	
		
			 Financial year Number of payments Percentage of employees 
			 2008-09 11,564 63.5 
			 2009-10 10,032 54.1 
			 2010-11 10,036 55.1 
			 2011-12 9,800 54.5 
		
	
	A close and effective link between pay and performance is a key element of the reward arrangements for the civil service. For the senior civil service (SCS), for whom pay is managed by the Cabinet Office and which is based on recommendations by the Senior Salaries Review Body, performance incentives are paid primarily as non-consolidated performance payments.
	For staff outside SCS, Departments have delegated authority to tailor reward packages to meet their own business needs and performance pay is a matter for each organisation.

Legal Opinion: Costs

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department spent on (a) legal advice and (b) instructing counsel in (i) 2007, (ii) 2009, (iii) 2010 and (iv) the first six months of 2011; how many times (A) her Department was taken to court and (B) a decision taken by her Department was subject to a judicial review; and what the outcome was of each such (1) case and (2) review.

Norman Baker: To confirm the total expenditure for the entire Department and its agencies, by calendar year, over the period indicated would incur a disproportionate cost. However, the following information, organised by calendar year, is readily available.
	In 2009-10, the Department's then Legal Services Directorate (now its Legal Service) spent £1,440,981 on Treasury Solicitor's Department fees, £189,662 on parliamentary counsel's fees and £214,966 on external solicitors and counsel.
	In 2010-11, the Department's Legal Service spent £746,076 on Treasury Solicitor's Department fees, and £61,697 on external solicitors and counsel.
	In the first six months of 2011-12, the Department's Legal Service spent £161,320 on Treasury Solicitor's Department fees, and £4,018 on external solicitors and counsel. A payment of £82,713 was made in respect of parliamentary counsel's fees covering the whole of 2011-12.
	The following information on legal spend across the Department is also available:
	
		
			 £ 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 DFT (Central Department) (1)— (1)— (2)6,638,975 
			 Highways Agency (1)— 7,171,952 5,568,757 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency 3,764 6,045 4,992 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (1)— (1)— 232,502 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency 146,955 153,207 378,421 
			 (1) Information not available without incurring disproportionate cost. (2) This figure includes the legal spend of the Legal Service mentioned in paragraph (3). 
		
	
	To confirm all of the occasions when the Department and its seven Executive agencies have been involved in court proceedings during the periods in question would, I regret, incur a disproportionate cost. However, the following information about decided cases in the superior courts (High Court; Court of Appeal and Court of the Justice of the EU) is readily available.
	
		
			  Case Outcome 
			 2007 Byrne (a minor) v. The Motor Insurers Bureau and the Secretary of State for Transport [2007] EWHC 1268 (QB) (5 June 2007) A number of preliminary issues were determined in favour of the claimant 
			  Moto Hospitality Ltd v. Secretary of State for Transport EWCA Civ 764 (26 July 2007) The Secretary of State's appeal against a decision of the Lands Tribunal was allowed 
			  Moore v. Secretary of State for Transport and the Motor Insurers Bureau [2007] EWCA Civ 908 (26 July 2007) The Secretary of State's application to strike out the claim was successful 
		
	
	
		
			  Moore v. Secretary of State for Transport [2007] EWCA Civ 908 (26 July 2007) Permission to appeal was granted 
			  (Centro) v. Secretary of State for Transport and Anor [2007] EWHC 2729 (Admin) (21 November 2007) Permission to seek judicial review was refused 
			    
			 2009 R (First Essex Buses Ltd) v. Secretary of State for Transport and Anor [2009] EWHC 3024 (Admin) (25 November 2009) The claimant's application for judicial review was dismissed 
			  Barbone and Anor (on behalf of Stop Stansted Expansion) v. Secretary of State for Transport and Anor [2009] EWHC 463 (Admin) (13 March 2009) The claimants' application for judicial review was dismissed 
			  R (Yollari and Anor) v. Secretary of State for Transport and Anor [2009] EWHC 1918 (Admin) (28 July 2009) The claimants' application for judicial review was dismissed 
			  R (Paul Bryant) v. Secretary of State for Transport [2009] EWHC 3586 (Admin) (21 August 2009) Permission to seek judicial review was refused 
			  R (Wiltshire Branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England and Geoff Yates) v. Swindon Borough Council (Defendant) and Taylor Wimpey, Wiltshire County Council and the Highways Agency (Interested Parties) [2009] EWHC 1586 (Admin) (26 June 2009) The claimants' application for judicial review was dismissed 
			  Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd v. Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency [2009] EWHC 3132 (Admin) (20 October 2009) The company's appeal against conviction was dismissed 
			    
			 2010 Bradley Fold Travel Ltd and Anor v. Secretary of State for Transport [2010] EWCA Civ 695 (18 June 2010) The claimants' appeal was dismissed 
			  Carswell v. Secretary of State for Transport and Anor [2010] EWHC 3230 (QB) (9 December 2010) The claim was dismissed 
			  Afton Chemical Ltd v. Secretary of State for Transport [2010] All ER (D) 73 (Jul) (8 July 2010) The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on a preliminary issue 
			  R (London Borough of Hillingdon and Ors) v. Secretary of State for Transport and Anor [2010] EWHC 626 (Admin) (26 March 2010) Judgment that, until a national policy statement under the Planning Act 2008 was concluded, the Secretary of State could not limit the scope of the permissible debate about airport expansion 
			  Certain Bus Operating Companies in the Stagecoach Group and Ors v. Secretary of State for Transport and Anor [2010] EWHC 223 (Admin) (16 February 2010) Judgment that the Secretary of State's interpretation of the applicable legislation was to be preferred 
			  R (Yollari and Anor) v. Secretary of State for Transport and Anor [2010] EWCA Civ 1093 (12 October 2010) The claimants' appeal was dismissed 
			  Beckley Parish Council v. Secretary of State for Transport and Ors [2010] EWHC 606 (Admin) (5 March 2010) The claimants' application for judicial review was dismissed 
		
	
	
		
			  Harding v. Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) [2010] EWHC 713 (Admin) (10 March 2010) The appeal against conviction was dismissed 
			  Global Knafaim Leasing Ltd and CGTSN Ltd v. Civil Aviation Authority and BAA Ltd (Defendants) and Eurocontrol, NATS (En Route) plc, NATS (Services) Ltd and Secretary Of State for Transport (Interested Parties) (5) Aviation Working Group (Intervener) [2010] EWHC 1348 (Admin) (11 June 2010) The claimants' application for judicial review was dismissed 
			  Neil Herron and Parking Appeals Ltd (Claimants) v. Parking Adjudicator (Defendant) and Sunderland City Council, Parking and Traffic Appeals, Traffic Penalty Tribunal, NCP Service Ltd and Secretary of State for Transport (Interested Parties) [2010] EWHC 1161 (Admin) (25 May 2010) The claimants' application for judicial review was dismissed 
			    
			 2011 Harm Platje v. Vehicle and Operator Service Agency [2011] EWHC 1369 (Admin) (27 May 2011) The appeal against conviction was dismissed

Legal Opinion: Costs

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times her Department's legal section provided legal advice to Ministers in (a) 2007, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) the first six months of 2011.

Norman Baker: The Department's Legal Service provides advice to Ministers both directly and by working with departmental officials. Legal advice is given to contribute to the development and implementation of policies, projects and legislation, and consequently the Legal Service is involved across the full range of Ministers' functions.
	As the Department does not keep records in a form that would provide a ready numerical answer to this question, I regret that the information sought could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Legal Opinion: Costs

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times her Department sought legal advice from external counsel in (a) 2007, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) the first six months of 2011.

Norman Baker: I regret that the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, the following table details, by year, the total numbers of individual external counsel (i.e. barristers) who were instructed by parts of the Department during the years in questions.
	
		
			  DFT Legal Service (1) DSA 
			 2007 (2)— 0 
			 2009 26 1 
			 2010 15 0 
		
	
	
		
			 2011 (first six months) 4 1 
			 (1) This information is based on financial records showing that one or more fee notes of a particular barrister were paid. (2) This information is not available without incurring disproportionate cost.

Lost Property

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department has lost any (a) computers, (b) mobile phones, (c) BlackBerrys and (d) other IT equipment since May 2010; and if she will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The figures provided here are for items recorded centrally as lost or stolen, broken down into the totals for the central Department (including the Shared Service Centre) and the agencies. The figures provided do not include thefts or losses where records are not available centrally, or such thefts or losses that were not reported. While some of this latter information may exist in records held locally within the central Department and the agencies it can be obtained only at disproportionate costs.
	The breakdown of figures for IT equipment recorded as lost or stolen since May 2010 is as follows:
	
		
			  Lost Stolen 
			  D F T Agencies D F T Agencies 
			 (a) Computers (including laptops) 4 3 2 15 
			 (b) Mobile phones 9 8 0 4 
			 (c) BlackBerrys 15 9 7 1 
			 (d) Other IT equipment 39 24 1 14

Departmental Manpower

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials in her Department were working in its legal section in June 2011; and how many staff were working in the legal departments of her Department's agencies and non-departmental bodies.

Norman Baker: In June 2011:
	(a) the Department's own legal service, which supports both the central Department and its agencies had 80 members of staff: 71 lawyers and nine administration staff.
	(b) in relation to the Department's executive agencies, only the DVLA is relevant. Its own legal team had six members of staff: one lawyer and five administration staff.
	We do not hold the information on the number of staff working in legal teams of non-departmental bodies. I regret that this could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Public Sector: Pay

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials in her Department and the bodies for which she is responsible earned more than (a) £65,000, (b) £95,000, (c) £140,000 and (d) £175,000 in the last year for which figures are available.

Norman Baker: The number of officials in the Department for Transport and its Executive Agencies on salaries within the ranges specified, as at 1 April 2011, is set out in the following table. None earns more than £175,000.
	
		
			 Number 
			  More than £65,000 More than £95,000 More than £140,000 
			 DFT(C) 207 24 3 
			 DSA 7 2 0 
			 DVLA 25 2 0 
			 GCDA 1 0 0 
			 HA 21 3 3 
			 MCA 3 2 0 
			 VOSA 17 0 0 
			 VCA 1 1 0 
			 Total 282 34 6 
		
	
	Information, in the format requested, on officials in the Department's non-departmental public bodies and other arm’s length organisations is not held centrally. Salary data on officials in these organisations are held on Data.Gov at:
	http://data.gov.uk/dataset/organogram-dft

Departmental Public Expenditure

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she receives any external funding for (a) her ministerial office and (b) her advisers; and what the (i) source and (ii) amount is of any such funding.

Norman Baker: The Secretary of State for Transport, the right hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening), does not receive any external funding for either her ministerial office or her advisers.

Research

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her Department's research and development budget was in each of the last five years; and what that budget will be for each year of the spending review period.

Norman Baker: holding answer 7 November 2011
	Historical figures are reported annually through the SET tables published on the BIS and ONS websites:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/science/science-funding/set-stats
	In addition, the budget for 2010-11 was £63 million.
	For 2011-12, the Department has overall provision of £49.5 million for external expenditure on research. Requirements and the funding needed for years beyond 2011-12 are at planning stage.

Public Employee Bids

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many applications from employees to run services for which her Department is directly responsible she has received since May 2010; and if she will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The Department has not received any applications to date.

Secondary Legislation

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) statutory instruments, (b) Ministerial orders and (c) other pieces of secondary legislation were issued by her Department in (i) 1990, (ii) 1995, (iii) each year since 1999 and (iv) 2011 to date.

Norman Baker: The information sought could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I can, however, help as follows.
	First, all statutory instruments (including those issued by the Department) are published. In the case of instruments up to and including those issued in 2008, they are available in bound volumes. In the case of local orders, publication in hard copy is limited to the title and statutory instrument number in the bound volumes.
	Secondly, statutory instruments are also available electronically on the following website:
	www.legislation.gov.uk
	although the only local orders on it are those issued since October 2009.
	Thirdly, the types of ministerial orders and other legislation likely to fall within categories (b) and (c) of the question include:
	i. orders in respect of individual vehicles made under section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 allowing vehicles, that would otherwise not be permitted, to be used on the road;
	ii. authorisations under section 64(1)(b) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to allow road signs, that would otherwise not be permitted, to be used;
	iii. directions by virtue of direction 59 of the Traffic Signs General Directions 2002 (Part 2 of S.I. 2002/3113) to allow signs to be used in a combination that would otherwise not be permitted;
	iv. directions to protect the use of land from any conflicting development which could interfere with the construction of transport infrastructure;
	v. directions relating to transport security;
	vi. marine safety directions under Schedule 3A of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.
	Some of these are published.

Security Vetting

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what level of security vetting is required for (a) grade six and seven, or equivalent, press officers and (b) ministerial private secretaries in her Department.

Norman Baker: My Department follows Cabinet Office policy and guidance on national security vetting. Publicly available national security vetting information is contained in the booklet: “HMG Personnel Security Controls” accessible on the internet at the following address:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/hmg-personnel-security-controls
	and can be made available in the Library of the House. It would not be appropriate to identify posts subject to security vetting as this could highlight who has access to sensitive material and be used for targeting purposes.

Security Vetting

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what level of security vetting is required for (a) special advisers and (b) Ministerial-appointed policy advisers in her Department; and if she will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport assesses the security vetting requirements of each role using Cabinet Office guidance “HMG Personnel Security Controls”, which is available from the Cabinet Office website. This guidance describes the circumstances in which a post may require the holder to be subject to national security vetting checks. However, it would not be appropriate to confirm which specific posts within the Department are the subject of vetting, as this could highlight who within this Department has access to sensitive material and therefore could be used for targeting purposes.
	The names of special advisers are published quarterly by Cabinet Office.
	There are no ministerially-appointed policy advisers in the Department.

Security Vetting

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what company or Government service is used to undertake security vetting at (a) counter terrorist check, (b) security check and (c) developed vetting level in her Department.

Norman Baker: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Services provide national security vetting services to my Department at all three levels. Ministry of Defence (MOD) Business Services National Security Vetting provide counter terrorist check and security check vetting services to the Department in respect of specific parts of the transport industry.

Security Vetting

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were in possession of a security pass for her main Departmental headquarters, including multi-site headquarters and not including staff or contractors, in each month since May 2010.

Norman Baker: There are 56 temporary passes and 626 daily visitor passes currently available to be issued in the main Department for Transport headquarters building. The passes are collected once they have expired.
	Every visitor, including contractors, sign in at reception before being given a pass. I regret that information on the number of persons passes were issued to could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by manually reviewing each visitor book.

Telephone Helplines

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department has allocated to each telephone helpline funded by her Department in 2011-12; what the purpose is of each such helpline; and how many calls each helpline received in each of the last five years.

Norman Baker: The Department does not currently operate any permanent telephone helplines, but directly manages four public facing agency contact centres. The budget and call volumes for each agency contact centre are as follows:
	
		
			   Call volumes (million) 
			 Agency Budget 2011-12 (£ million) 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 DVLA 18.5 27.9 20.6 19.5 20.4 20.3 
			 DSA 3.9 2.1 1.7 1.9 1.9 2.0 
			 VOSA 1.7 0.5 0.7 1.0 1.1 0.9 
			 HA 0.8 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 
			 Total 24.9 30.6 23.2 22.6 23.6 23.4 
		
	
	These provide a range of services to citizens and businesses via telephone, e-mail and post including: supplying advice and information on services; handling inquiries about driver and vehicle licensing transactions; dealing with bookings for driving tests and vehicle inspections; and providing up to date information on road works and traffic conditions on the strategic road network.
	DSA also provides a small contact centre for the driving theory test. This is part of an externally tendered contract for which costs and call volumes for the contact centre element are not separately available.

Internships

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many unpaid and expenses-only internships (a) her Department and (b) each public body for which she is responsible employed in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Norman Baker: Across the Department for Transport and associated public bodies, records indicate that one internship has taken place since 1 November last year that fits the specified criteria (a two week placement at High Speed 2 Ltd).
	In addition, the Department is supporting work experience that falls within the Government's ‘Get Britain Working' programme. Under this initiative, the Department has delivered 125 work experience placements to date allocated from Job Centre Plus. Placements are continuing across all agencies and the central Department and are offered to jobseeker’s allowance customers aged 18-24 whose limited experience of work is acting as a barrier to employment. Although these placements are unpaid in terms of departmental funding, candidates do remain in receipt of their benefits while in post.

Written Questions

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many parliamentary questions for written answer on a named day by her Department were answered (a) on time, (b) five days late, (c) 10 days late, (d) 20 days late and (e) over 30 days late in each month since May 2010.

Norman Baker: The response times for named day parliamentary questions is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Delay in answer (days) 
			  (a) On time (b) 1 to 5 (c) 6 to 10 (d) 11 to 20 21 to 30 (e) 30+ 
			 2010       
			 May 11 7 0 0 0 0 
			 June 32 21 6 1 6 1 
			 July 36 20 6 3 0 0 
			 August — — — — — — 
			 September 19 7 0 0 0 0 
			 October 47 12 19 10 3 2 
			 November 46 16 18 8 1 5 
			 December 40 15 13 8 9 7 
			        
			 2011       
			 January 25 28 21 3 2 4 
			 February 15 24 6 4 0 1 
			 March 27 30 11 6 6 0 
			 April 2 4 6 6 0 1 
			 May 26 1 4 4 5 1 
			 June 53 26 11 13 4 4 
			 July 45 17 15 6 0 6 
			 August 11 2 0 1 0 0 
			 September 23 6 6 2 8 4 
			 October 38 14 10 4 2 0 
		
	
	The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis and will provide full information to the Committee at the end of the session. Statistics relating to Government Department's performance for the 2009-10 parliamentary session were previously provided to the committee and are available on the Parliament website.

E-mail

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) special advisers in her Department use private e-mail accounts for the conduct of government business.

Norman Baker: The Ministerial Code, the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, and the Civil Service Code set out how Ministers, officials and special advisers should conduct Government business.

European Aviation Safety Authority

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the outcomes were of the meeting of EASA's Advisory Group of National Authorities on 25 and 26 October 2011; and if she will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Crawley (Henry Smith) on 8 November 2011, Official Report, column 186W.

Government Procurement Card

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry was of each transaction undertaken by her Department using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2007-08 , (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10.

Norman Baker: Data for 2007-08 are not available and to obtain them would result in disproportional cost. In addition, level 3 or enhanced transaction entry details for 2008-09 and 2009-10 could be provided only at disproportional cost.
	A recent Freedom of Information (FOI) reply, F0007430 dated 8 June 2011, requested details of Government Procurement Cards spend above £500 for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 (up to June 2010).
	This reply and the associated spreadsheets has been placed on the DFT website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/foi/dft-f0007430

Heathrow Airport

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations she has received on the proposal to construct a third runway at Heathrow airport.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 10 November 2011
	The proposal for a third runway at Heathrow airport is referred to in a number of responses recently received to the scoping document on developing a sustainable framework for UK aviation. The coalition committed to cancelling a third runway at Heathrow in its programme for government.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Nadhim Zahawi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the effects of High Speed 2 on levels of youth unemployment.

Justine Greening: There was no direct assessment of the effect of HS2 on youth unemployment, however, the London-West Midlands portion of the proposed high speed rail network would support the creation of over 40,000 jobs, across a range of sectors and in some relatively poorer performing areas of Birmingham and London. The wider network supported by the Government would be likely to offer similar opportunities in the cities of Northern England.

Invalid Vehicles: Accidents

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) deaths and (b) serious injuries involving powered (i) wheelchairs and (ii) mobility scooters have occurred on roads in each of the last three years.

Norman Baker: As road casualty statistics do not currently include mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs as a separate vehicle category, we have no central database of the number of vehicles involved in accidents, but we are aware of specific incidents. From 2013 the police will be able to record whether a mobility vehicle has been involved in an accident on the public highway.
	In 2010 the Department initiated a survey to help assess the number of mobility scooter users and the extent to which their use may have injured people. I will be considering its conclusions as part of an overall review of the laws governing the use of mobility vehicles. The results of the survey can be viewed on the Department's website at:
	http://www2.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/trsnstatsatt/mobilityscooters.html

Invalid Vehicles: Eyesight

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she plans to impose a minimum eyesight requirement on users of (a) powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters and (b) cyclists.

Norman Baker: As part of the Department for Transport’s review of the use of mobility vehicles, I have asked my officials to undertake further work with transport operators, the mobility vehicles industry and user groups on a range of issues, including a possible minimum eyesight requirement for mobility vehicle users and incentives for them to meet these requirements. No decision has been taken.
	I would also refer the right hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Bury South (Mr Lewis) of 26 October 2011, Official Report, column 249W, and my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole (Annette Brooke) of 27 October 2011, Official Report, column 284W, for further details on my recent announcement.
	There are no plans to require cyclists to meet a minimum eyesight requirement.

NDPBs: Manpower

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials were (a) directly and (b) otherwise employed by non-departmental public bodies for which her Department is responsible (i) in 2000, (ii) in 2005, (iii) in 2007, (iv) in 2010 and (v) on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has responsibility for 12 arm’s length bodies (ALBs) that help deliver its strategic aims and objectives. The vast majority of those working for such organisations will be public servants rather than civil servants as they do not work directly for the Crown. However, there may be occasions where civil servants are loaned or seconded from their parent Department to work for an ALB for a limited period of time.
	ALBs have authority to recruit according to their individual business requirements. As such, the Department does not hold information relating to the number of civil servants employed by each of its ALBs and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Piers: Redcar and Cleveland

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she has received any representations from (a) individuals and (b) organisations on funding for an additional traditional pier in Redcar and Cleveland.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has not received any representations from individuals or organisations about the funding of an additional traditional pier in Redcar and Cleveland.

Railways: Franchises

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will instruct rail operating company Abellio to provide details of the company's discussions with Angel Trains on a reduction in the fleet serving the Greater Anglia rail franchise; if she will place any such information in the Library; and if she will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: Abellio submitted a compliant bid in line with the requirements of the Invitation to Tender. Their discussions with Angel trains are a commercial issue between the two parties.

Railways: Kent

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of investment in selective heating of conductor rails on the rail line between Faversham and Ramsgate.

Theresa Villiers: Network Rail is rolling out an extensive programme of conductor rail heating across London and the south-east which is due to be completed by January 2012. Routes in Kent that will benefit from this investment include Ramsgate to London Charing Cross via Canterbury West, and Faversham to London Victoria via the Medway Towns. The installation of conductor rail heating between Ramsgate and Faversham should be carried out next year.

Roads: Railways

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the additional road and rail infrastructure required to meet demand at existing standards for the (a) upper and (b) lower limits of the projected rise in the population of the UK made by the Office for National Statistics by 2050.

Theresa Villiers: The Department collects and publishes a range of official statistics that track changes in people's travel behaviour and their use of transport infrastructure. Most of these statistics are summarised in “Transport Statistics Great Britain”, the Department's main annual statistical compendium publication.
	The Department uses these statistics and long-term projections, including population estimates from the Office for National Statistics, to forecast future demand for transport.
	National Policy Statements (NPS) set out the Government's assessment of the need for different types of infrastructure, including in relation to trends in population. The Department intends shortly to launch a consultation on a draft NPS for national road and rail networks.

Roads: Snow and Ice

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on support for their winter resilience plans.

Norman Baker: holding answer 27 October 2011
	The Department for Transport works closely with the Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS) and the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) on local resilience matters.
	Resilience advisers from DCLG regularly meet with local resilience forums, which comprise a number of organisations and agencies who deal with emergency planning issues, including representatives from local highway authorities, to ensure suitable preparations are being made for winter.

Transport: Capital Investment

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work her Department has done on bringing forward infrastructure spending during the comprehensive spending review period.

Norman Baker: holding answer 7 November 2011
	The Department is contributing to the Government's growth review, and announcements will be made in due course.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Sequestration: Longannet

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will publish all documents relating to the negotiations for the withdrawn carbon capture and storage project at Longannet.

Charles Hendry: Extensive information about the carbon capture and storage project at Longannet was published through release of the Scottish Power CCS Consortium Front End Engineering and Design study on the DECC website. This is available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/emissions/ccs/demo_prog/feed/feed.aspx
	Other documents relating to the negotiations remain commercially confidential.

Civil Nuclear Constabulary

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the merits of the case for amalgamating the Civil Nuclear constabulary with the Ministry of Defence police; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: The Civil Nuclear constabulary and Ministry of Defence police are already working towards closer operational interoperability and collaboration in order to enhance the effectiveness and protection of defence and civil nuclear sites. MOD and DECC Ministers have recently agreed that a scoping study should be undertaken to establish whether a merger would bring further net benefits.

Cuadrilla Resources

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on what dates he has met representatives of Cuadrilla Resources since May 2010.

Charles Hendry: All formal ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis and can be found on the Department's website via the following link:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/ministermtgs/ministermtgs.aspx
	Since May 2010, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne), has not met Cuadrilla Resources. I did however meet Cuadrilla during a drilling site visit on 11 March 2011.

Design Services

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what contracts his Department has awarded for design services since May 2010; and what information his Department holds on the location of such companies.

Gregory Barker: The Department has not awarded any contracts specifically for design services. Our design work is either done in-house or on a project basis commissioned via the Central Office of Information (COI).

Design Services

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on design in respect of (a) logos, (b) buildings, (c) advertising, (d) stationery and (e) campaigns in the last year for which figures are available.

Gregory Barker: The information is as follows.
	
		
			   Cost (£) Date 
			 Logos Green Deal trademark design 9,588 Commissioned in October 2010 
			     
			 Buildings  0  
			     
			 Advertising Vacancy advertisements 5,999.98 May 2010 to present 
			     
			 Stationery  0  
			     
			 Campaigns Check, Switch, Insulate, Save 486.40 October 2011 
			  Greener government cross-government campaign 510 May 2010 to March 2011

Electricity

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what measures he is putting in place to support new entrants into the electricity market; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: Poor wholesale market liquidity is acting as a significant barrier to entry in electricity wholesale and retail markets and a key aim of Electricity Market Reform (EMR) is to encourage new entrants.
	Ofgem have published their analysis on electricity market liquidity and expect to reach conclusions at the end of this year. We are working closely with Ofgem to ensure that taken together EMR and the liquidity reforms reduce barriers to entry and deliver the necessary improvements in wholesale market liquidity. We will act where necessary to introduce reforms where the structural barriers to market entry are not addressed through the actions taken by Ofgem.
	In addition, we are cutting red tape for small energy suppliers by raising the customer number threshold at which Government obligations apply, to help small suppliers grow and increase competition.

Energy

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  on what date (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department last met (i) the chief executive and (ii) other representatives of (A) EDF Energy, (B) Centrica, (C) Scottish Power, (D) RWE NPower, (E) E.on and (F) Scottish and Southern Energy;
	(2)  how many times he has met the chief executive of (a) EDF Energy, (b) Centrica, (c) Scottish Power, (d) RWE NPower, (e) E.on and (f) Scottish and Southern Energy since May 2010; and on what dates such meetings took place;
	(3)  on how many occasions he has attended a function at the invitation of (a) EDF Energy, (b) Centrica, (c) Scottish Power, (d) RWE NPower, (e) E.on and (f) Scottish and Southern Energy in an official capacity since May 2010; and on what dates any such functions took place.

Charles Hendry: Ministers meet and attend functions with energy suppliers on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues. Quarterly lists of DECC Ministers’ meetings that involve outside interested parties are published on the DECC website, available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/ministermtgs/ministermtgs.aspx

Energy: Billing

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress his Department has made on improving the information provided in energy bills.

Charles Hendry: We have recently negotiated a voluntary agreement with suppliers to provide customers with a “signpost” on bills to cheaper deals this winter, and that an additional communication should be sent to their customers who pay by cash or cheque to let them know how much they could save by moving to the cheapest standard direct debit tariff. There is also a commitment from suppliers to assess the impact of the signpost on bills and improve it in the light of this evidence.
	Energy suppliers have also agreed to look at ways to enable customers to compare their gas and electricity consumption in time for next winter, including the potential for a web based tool that would provide consumers with a personalised comparison with similar households in their area.

Energy: Finance

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what agreements were reached on energy subsidy reform at the 2011 G20 Cannes Summit.

Charles Hendry: At the G20 summit in Cannes Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to
	“rationalise and phase-out over the medium term inefficient fossil fuels subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption, while providing targeted support for the poorest”.

Energy: Prices

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what criteria will be applied to determine the low income households that will be eligible for the affordable warmth element of the Energy Company Obligation;
	(2)  what proportion of the overall Energy Company Obligation will be targeted at the affordable warmth element.

Gregory Barker: We will publish and consult on our proposals for the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) very shortly. Our proposals will cover the outcomes we would require the energy companies to achieve under the affordable warmth component of the overall obligation and the associated eligibility criteria households would need to meet. The accompanying impact assessment will estimate the cost of delivery.

Energy: Unsolicited Goods and Services

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on ensuring that doorstep selling does not take place during smart meter installation; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: It is essential that consumers’ interests are protected during the smart meter installation process. We are currently consulting on the rules that will underpin a smart metering installation code of practice. The code will focus on the consumer experience during the installation process and set out minimum standards of services that consumers should receive. As part of that consultation, we have suggested that suppliers should only be able to conclude sales during the installation visit with the customer’s prior written consent. We will take final decisions on this and other code issues in light of responses to the consultation.

Energy: Unsolicited Goods and Services

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with Ofgem on prohibiting the practice of doorstep selling by energy companies; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: DECC Ministers meet with Ofgem officials on a regular basis to discuss energy issues, including issues relating to the protection of energy consumers.
	Ofgem is responsible for regulating gas and electricity supply, including the marketing activities used by suppliers. It is therefore for them to consider whether the evidence showed that a ban on doorstep sales was clearly in the consumer interests.
	I note that most of the large energy suppliers have announced they will suspend or cease doorstep sales.

Fuel Poverty

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the expenditure required on household energy efficiency in order to eradicate fuel poverty by 2016.

Gregory Barker: The Coalition Government are committed to doing all that is reasonably practicable to end fuel poverty in England by 2016 and to helping people, especially low income vulnerable households, heat their homes more affordably. There are three contributory factors to a household being in fuel poverty— the household’s income, the energy efficiency of the property and energy prices.
	While we have made no assessment of the level of energy efficiency expenditure that would be required to eliminate fuel poverty by 2016, there are a number of policies in place to improve the energy efficiency of low income and vulnerable households, including Warm Front and the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target. In the future, the Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation will provide support with heating and energy efficiency measures to those who need it most.
	In addition, the new warm home discount scheme will assist up to 2 million homes each year, helping among others, over 600,000 pensioners in receipt of pension credit guarantee credit with £120 off their energy bills this winter.

Fuel Poverty: Students

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of (a) further education and (b) higher education students living in fuel poverty.

Charles Hendry: No estimate has been made of the number of students living in fuel poverty. Fuel poverty is measured at a household level. The English Housing survey, which provides most of the data used for modelling fuel poverty, does not record information that would accurately identify all households containing students.

Green Deal Scheme

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to announce details of the qualifying criteria for the Green Deal.

Charles Hendry: The details of the qualifying criteria will be in the Green Deal consultation, which will be published shortly.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will place in the Library a copy of the results of his Department's stakeholder polling on the Green Deal.

Charles Hendry: The Department has not conducted any ‘stakeholder polling’ on the Green Deal. However, it has commissioned consumer research, both quantitative and qualitative. Results will be published on the DECC website alongside the Green Deal consultation document. Copies of the reports will also be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Lighting: Pollution

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has made an assessment of the risks posed by mercury vapour released from compact fluorescent lamps when broken.

Anne Milton: I have been asked to reply.
	The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has reviewed the potential health effects of mercury exposure from broken compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). They found that the exposure was likely to be very small. A small proportion of the mercury could be released into a room if the bulb were broken, but this was most unlikely to pose a health risk to anyone immediately exposed.
	The HPA has published a factsheet on mercury and CFLs. This provides precautionary guidance on how to deal with any broken bulbs. It is available on the HPA website at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1207293983993?p=1158313435037

Natural Gas: Exploration

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what steps his Department's chief scientific adviser (a) has taken and (b) plans to take in assessing the relationship between shale gas drilling and seismic activity in the vicinity of Cuadrilla Resources’ Preese Hall-1 well;
	(2)  when he expects work on shale gas exploration to resume;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the report by Cuadrilla Resources on the cause of seismic activity in the vicinity of Cuadrilla Resources’ Preese Hall-1 well; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of Cuadrilla Resources’ conclusions on the causes of seismic activity in the vicinity of Cuadrilla Resources’ Preese Hall-1 well;
	(5)  what assessment he has made of the likelihood of further seismic activity related to shale gas exploration.

Charles Hendry: A geomechanical study has been undertaken by Cuadrilla Resources, the operator carrying out shale gas exploration near Blackpool, which was submitted to the Department on 2 November 2011. It is being reviewed very carefully by DECC, in consultation with the British Geological Survey, and other independent experts. The Department's chief scientific adviser and his staff will be involved throughout.
	Cuadrilla's report confirms a connection between the hydraulic fracturing at the Preese Hall-1 well and the seismic activity which took place on 1 April and 27 May 2011.
	No decision on the resumption of these hydraulic fracture operations will be made until the implications of this report, and of any further analysis which may prove necessary, has been fully considered, and appropriate practical measures have been approved by Ministers to minimise the risk of such events occurring again. Other key regulators will be consulted before any such decision is taken.

Ofgem

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  how many times he has met the (a) chief executive and (b) chairman of Ofgem since May 2010; and on what dates such meetings took place;
	(2)  on how many occasions he has attended a function at the invitation of Ofgem since May 2010; and on what dates any such functions took place.

Charles Hendry: DECC Ministers meet and attend functions with Ofgem officials on a regular basis to discuss a range of market issues.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what his policy is on provision of a higher level feed-in tariff rate for school buildings;
	(2)  what assessment he has made on the potential effect of his proposal to reduce the feed-in tariff on schemes providing solar energy to schools.

Gregory Barker: holding answer 10 November 2011
	Under both the current and proposed feed-in tariffs (FITs), schools would be eligible for the same level of support as other types of generator. The Department has not assessed the specific effect of the proposed new tariffs for solar photovoltaics (PV) on schools. The proposed tariffs are designed to provide a 4.5% to 5% return on capital, which is in line with the original intention of the scheme and which should still be attractive for households and communities interested in installing solar PV, particularly in the current climate of record low interest rates.
	The Government's current consultation on FITs for solar PV seeks views on whether more could be done to enable genuine community projects to achieve real benefits from FITs and whether, for example, a definition of community scheme is required and, if so, how this should be defined. We will provide more detail on FITs for community-based schemes as part of phase 2 of the comprehensive review.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on feed-in tariff rates for school buildings in (a) France and (b) Italy.

Gregory Barker: holding answer 10 November 2011
	The Department does not hold any information on feed-in tariff rates for school buildings in France or Italy.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the contribution by the Minister of State for Climate Change of 31 October 2011, Official Report, columns 613-14, on feed-in tariffs, what impact assessment he has made in relation to the number of community schemes that are currently in progress but will not proceed as a result of his proposals and the 12 December deadline.

Gregory Barker: The new tariffs proposed in consultation on feed-in tariffs for solar PV are intended to provide a return on capital of 4.5% to 5% for well-sited installations. These returns should still be attractive for householders and communities, particularly in the current climate of record low interest rates. The impact assessment supporting the consultation assesses the impacts of the consultation proposals and estimates that solar PV installations will continue to come forward. These installations could include community projects although the impact assessment does not provide detailed estimates on installation types.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on provision of support to businesses to meet the obligations arising from implementation of the measures in phase 1 of the comprehensive review of feed-in tariffs.

Gregory Barker: holding answer 10 November 2011
	The impact assessment accompanying the Government's consultation on feed-in tariffs (FITs) for solar photovoltaics (PV) estimates that new solar PV installations will continue to come forward under the proposed changes to FITs for solar PV. The number of installations is expected to be around 30,000 per year for the rest of the spending review period.
	The proposals in the consultation are intended to support a sustainable solar PV industry while minimising the costs to consumers from excessive levels of support. The proposed energy efficiency requirement will also offer new opportunities to businesses, by driving the installation of energy efficiency measures.
	The Government do not intend to provide specific financial support to help businesses meet any costs arising from the comprehensive review.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to potential adverse weather conditions in the implementation of the measures in phase 1 of the comprehensive review of feed-in tariffs.

Gregory Barker: holding answer 10 November 2011
	On 31 October 2011, the Government published a consultation setting out proposed new tariffs for solar photovoltaics (PV) under the feed-in tariffs scheme. The consultation proposes that new tariffs will be implemented from 1 April 2012 but will apply to all new PV installations with an eligibility date on or after a proposed “reference date” of 12 December 2011.
	The consultation specifically asks for views on whether the proposed reference date should be 12 December 2011 or some other date. We will consider all representations made during the consultation in response to this and other questions, including any citing adverse weather conditions as a factor that may have prevented installations from proceeding in the period prior to the proposed reference date.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the contribution by the Minister of State for Climate Change of 31 October 2011, Official Report, column 607, on feed-in tariffs, what assessment he has made of the potential savings to energy consumers as a result of the reductions in feed-in tariff subsidies; and what methodology his Department used to determine that figure.

Gregory Barker: An impact assessment has been published to support the consultation on feed-in tariffs for solar photovoltaics (PV). This includes an assessment of the impacts of the consultation proposals on domestic energy bills. Under our proposals, the impact of the feed-in tariff on annual consumer energy bills in 2020 is estimated to be around £3 per year, compared to £26 if we kept the tariffs at their current levels. The impact assessment is available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/fits-comp-review-p1/3416-fits-IA-solar-pv-draft.pdf

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the contribution by the Minister of State for Climate Change of 31 October 2011, Official Report, column 609, on feed-in tariffs, when he last met representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises to discuss (a) energy and climate change policy generally and (b) feed-in tariffs.

Charles Hendry: Ministers meet SMEs in all relevant sectors frequently. Details of meetings held between DECC Ministers and external parties are published on the Department's website on a quarterly basis.
	The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change, my hon. Friend the Member for Bexhill and Battle (Gregory Barker) recently hosted a stakeholder round-table on the FITs consultation which included representatives of SMEs.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on (a) the rates paid, (b) the length of time the scheme operated, (c) installed capacity and (d) the average change in power bills for feed-in tariff schemes in other EU member states.

Gregory Barker: The structure of support for renewable energy varies considerably across European Union (EU) member states, so the schemes cannot be compared directly with each other.
	The Department collects information on the schemes in a number of member states, but not in the form requested. Tariffs have been reduced recently in Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Belgium in the face of global falling costs for solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. Our proposed tariff of 21p for domestic scale installations (=4 kW) is similar to the rate offered in Germany.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department plans to provide exceptions for (a) schools, (b) housing associations, (c) community centres and (d) community projects from the feed-in tariffs which are due to commence after 12 December 2011.

Gregory Barker: The Government's consultation on feed-in tariffs (FITs) for solar photovoltaics (PV) includes proposals for new tariffs that would apply from 1 April 2012 to all new PV installations which become eligible for FITs on or after 12 December 2011. We will consider all representations received in response to the consultation on these proposals.
	The Government are also considering whether more could be done to enable genuine community projects to be able to fully benefit from FITs. We will provide more detail on this in a second consultation on the comprehensive review which will be published around the end of the year.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what savings he expects to arise from his planned changes to feed-in tariffs.

Charles Hendry: An impact assessment has been published to support the consultation on feed-in tariffs for solar photovoltaics (PV). This includes an assessment of the impacts of the consultation proposals on the subsidy costs of the FITs scheme and on annual average domestic energy bills.
	Under our proposals, the estimated subsidy costs of solar PV under FITs will be £250 million to £280 million (nominal, undiscounted) in 2014-15. This compares to an estimated cost of £1 billion (nominal, undiscounted) in 2014-15 if we did nothing. This difference in costs translates to a saving on annual average domestic energy bills in 2020 of £23 (2010 prices, undiscounted). The impact assessment is available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/fits-comp-review-p1/3416-fits-ia-solar-pv-draft.pdf

Renewable Energy: Heating

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how the renewable heat premium payment is to be targeted at households living in fuel poverty.

Charles Hendry: As part of the £15 million renewable heat premium payment scheme, £3 million was set aside for registered providers of social housing to compete for funds to install renewable heating systems into homes of social tenants, particularly for those at risk of fuel poverty.
	We will announce the details of the winning bidders shortly. Given the high level of interest and quality of bids received, we have increased the budget to £4 million to allow more projects to be supported. The main aim of the successful projects is the installation of renewable heat technologies to replace expensive fuel off the gas grid, helping to reduce fuel bills for the tenants, focusing on those in fuel poverty.

Scottish and Southern Energy

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has had discussions with representatives of Scottish and Southern Energy on their proposals to reform the sale of energy on the day-ahead market.

Charles Hendry: Ministers meet and attend functions with energy companies on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues. Quarterly lists of DECC Ministers' meetings that involve outside interested parties are published on the DECC website, available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/ministermtgs/ministermtgs.aspx

Solar Power

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has made an assessment of the solar industry survey published by the Renewable Energy Association and Solar Trade Association on 8 November 2011; and if he will ensure that the survey’s conclusions on (a) estimated employment levels in the solar industry, (b) closure of firms providing solar photovoltaic systems and (c) the effect of feed-in tariff charges on social housing tenants are incorporated into his Department’s consultation process.

Charles Hendry: I welcome the contribution that the REA and STA continue to make to FITs policy development, and I am pleased they were both able to attend the stakeholder round-table which the Minister of State for Climate Change, my hon. Friend the Member for Bexhill and Battle (Gregory Barker), hosted on 10 November 2011. Their recent survey was discussed at this event and will be considered along with other representations received through the FITs consultation.

Solar Power

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the number of UK solar companies (a) nationally, (b) in each region and (c) in each parliamentary constituency.

Charles Hendry: The current number of solar PV installation companies certified under the microgeneration certification scheme is 3,241. The Department does not hold the information by parliamentary constituency; however, the regional breakdown is as follows:
	
		
			 Regions PV companies 
			 Yorkshire Humberside 284 
			 North East 131 
			 North West 335 
			 South East 687 
			 South West 476 
			 East Midlands 313 
			 West Midlands 295 
			 East England 246 
			 London 77 
			 Isle of Wight 7 
			 Isle of Man 1 
			 Scotland 162 
			 Wales 214 
			 Northern Ireland 12

Solar Power

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what meetings he has held with representatives of the UK solar industry since May 2010.

Gregory Barker: Details of meetings between DECC Ministers and external organisations are published quarterly on the DECC website.
	During the development of our proposals for the feed-in tariff comprehensive review phase 1 consultation, I and other Ministers met a number of representatives of the solar power industry.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what modelling his Department has carried out on the effect of the proposed generation tariffs for solar photovoltaic energy on the rate of return.

Charles Hendry: The proposed tariffs are intended to provide a rate of return on capital of approximately 4.5% to 5% for well sited installations.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the contribution by the Minister of State for Climate Change of 31 October 2011, Official Report, columns 609-10, on feed-in tariffs, what estimate he has made of the number of solar PV community schemes which will not go ahead as a result of reductions in the subsidy available under the feed-in-tariff scheme.

Gregory Barker: The new tariffs proposed in consultation on feed-in tariffs for solar PV are intended to provide a return on capital of 4.5% to 5% for well-sited installations. These returns should still be attractive for householders and communities, particularly in the current climate of record low interest rates. The impact assessment supporting the consultation assesses the impacts of the consultation proposals and estimates that solar PV installations will continue to come forward. These installations could include community projects although the impact assessment does not provide detailed estimates on installation types.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he undertook an assessment of the effect on existing orders and contracts for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations when setting 12 December as the date for the introduction of the reduced solar PV feed-in tariffs.

Gregory Barker: The proposed changes will not take effect from 12 December 2011. The new tariffs will come into force from 1 April 2012 but the Government’s proposal is that they should apply from that date to all new PV installations which become eligible for FITs on or after 12 December 2011.
	The principal reason for the proposed approach is the urgency of the concerns about the impact on the scheme’s budget of continuing high levels of uptake at the current tariffs. The proposals are designed to strike a balance between the need for quick action and the desire to allow people an opportunity to finish work that is well under way. The proposed six-week period will allow many prospective generators who have made a financial commitment to installing PV (for example, paying a deposit) to do this.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he undertook an assessment of the effect on investment in the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry as a result of the proposed reductions in solar PV tariffs.

Charles Hendry: An impact assessment has been published to support the consultation on feed-in tariffs for solar photovoltaics (PV). This sets out the impact on generation and employment of the changes proposed in the consultation. The impact assessment is available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/fits-comp-review-p1/3416-fits-ia-solar-pv-draft.pdf

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what methodology his Department used to determine the reference date of 12 December 2011 for eligibility for the feed-in tariff scheme for solar photovoltaic installations.

Charles Hendry: The Government's consultation on feed-in tariffs (FITs) for solar photovoltaics (PV) proposes that the new tariffs will come into force from 1 April 2012 but apply to all new installations which become eligible for FITs on or after a proposed “reference date” of 12 December 2011.
	The principal reason for the proposed approach is the urgency of the concerns about the impact on the scheme's budget, and therefore on consumers' energy bills, of continuing high levels of uptake at the current tariffs. The proposed reference date is six weeks after publication of the consultation and is designed to strike a balance between the need for quick action and the desire to allow people an opportunity to finish work that is well under way.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the contribution by the Minister of State for Climate Change of 31 October 2011, Official Report, columns 607 and 613, on feed-in tariffs, what assessment he has made of the reduction in the cost of solar photovoltaic installations; and what methodology his Department used to determine that assessment.

Gregory Barker: The impact assessment supporting the Government's consultation on feed-in tariffs for solar photovoltaics (PV) sets out estimates of PV installation costs for different sizes of installations. They are based on a report from Cambridge Economic Policy Associates and Parsons Brinckerhoff which was published alongside the impact assessment and is available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/fits-comp-review-p1/3365-updates-to-fits-model-doc.pdf

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the contribution by the Minister of State for Climate Change of 31 October 2011, Official Report, column 608, on feed-in tariffs, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) jobs in the solar industry and (b) solar photovoltaic installations in (i) the UK and (ii) Germany.

Gregory Barker: We estimate that, based on the number of solar photovoltaic installations by the end of October 2011, around 8,000 to 14,000 gross full-time equivalent jobs have been supported by solar PV since the introduction of the feed-in tariffs (FITs) scheme. The total number of people doing some solar PV work is likely to be higher than this range because those who are involved in solar PV installations are also likely to undertake other tasks linked to their employment. We have not made any estimates of employment in the German PV sector.
	Data on solar PV installations in Germany are published by the IEA. These data cover capacity only and show that at the end of 2009 9,800 MW had been installed in Germany.
	Data for the UK are published monthly on the DECC website:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/energy_stats/source/electricity/electricity.aspx
	At the end of October 2011 329 MW of solar PV had been confirmed on to the FIT scheme. Data from the microgeneration certification scheme (MCS) register suggest that a further 96 MW of small scale (sub-50 kW) has been installed but has not yet registered for FITs. Data from the MCS should be seen as an indicator of early activity. There is no guarantee that all schemes will be confirmed onto FITs.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the potential effect on investment in the UK solar industry of a reduction in the feed-in tariff for solar photovoltaic installations before 31 March 2012.

Charles Hendry: An Impact Assessment has been published to support the consultation on Feed-in Tariffs for solar photovoltaics (PV). This sets out the impact in generation and employment of the changes proposed in the consultation. The Impact Assessment is available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/fits-comp-review-p1/3364-fits-scheme-consultation-doc.pdf

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the estimated cost in the current comprehensive spending review period would be of moving the reference date for the new solar photovoltaic feed-in tariffs from 12 December 2011 to 1 April 2012.

Gregory Barker: The Impact Assessment published alongside the consultation on feed-in tariffs for solar PV which can be found at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/fits-comp-review-p1/3416-fits-IA-solar-pv-draft.pdf
	estimates the range of costs to consumers for a Reference Date of 12 December 2011 (Option 2) and a Reference Date of 1 April 2012 (Option 3). The difference between these two options in cost to consumers over the current comprehensive spending review period ranges from £60 million to £430 million under different uptake scenarios, with a central estimate of £190 million (costs in 2011 prices, discounted).
	With no change to tariffs, under central uptake scenarios the Impact Assessment shows that FITs would increase annual household electricity bills by around £26 per year in 2020; under high growth scenarios this figure would be in the order of £55 per year in 2020.
	There is considerable uncertainty around future bill impacts of FITs as solar PV costs have declined rapidly to date and hence future costs (and therefore uptake) are uncertain.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the merits of a reduction in solar photovoltaic feed-in tariffs of (a) 10 per cent., (b) 20 per cent., (c) 30 per cent. and (d) 40 per cent.; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The Government are currently consulting on proposals to reduce feed-in tariffs (FITs) for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. The proposed new tariffs have been set in the light of information from the comprehensive review. This includes evidence that, since the FITs scheme started, PV costs have fallen by at least 30% and retail electricity prices have increased by 13%. In the light of this, the proposed new tariffs are intended to provide a 4.5% to 5% return on capital for a well sited installation which is similar to the target return for solar PV when the FITs were first introduced. Higher tariffs would result in higher returns than ever intended for solar PV under FITs. The Impact Assessment published alongside the consultation provides further details of how the assessment was made, which was not on the same basis as that set out in the question.
	The consultation closes on 23 December 2011 and we will consider all representations received.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect on the income of solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing and installation companies of the proposed reductions in solar PV feed-in tariffs.

Gregory Barker: The Impact Assessment accompanying the Government's consultation on feed-in tariffs (FITs) for solar photovoltaics (PV) estimates that new solar PV installations will continue to come forward under the proposed changes to FITs for solar PV. The number of installations is expected to be between 70% and 95% less for different tariff bands than under the “Do Nothing scenario”. The Impact Assessment does not estimate the specific impact of this, or the potential new business opportunities arising from the consultation proposals on energy efficiency, on the income of solar PV manufacturing and installation companies.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects on future levels in investment in the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry as a result of the proposed reductions in solar PV tariffs.

Gregory Barker: An Impact Assessment has been published to support the consultation on feed-in tariffs for solar photovoltaics (PV). This sets out the expected impact on generation, and on employment, of the changes proposed in the consultation. The Impact Assessment is available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/fits-comp-review-p1/3416-fits-ia-solar-pv-draft.pdf

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what budget has been allocated for exemptions from the proposed implementation date for the reduced solar photovoltaic feed-in tariffs.

Gregory Barker: The consultation seeks views on the tariffs and on the proposed approach to implementing them. We will consider all representations made prior to finalising the policy.

Solar Power: Finance

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of photovoltaic installations which will benefit from payments for his Department have (a) involved no intermediary and (b) involved an intermediary company; and which 10 companies have been responsible for the greatest number of installations.

Charles Hendry: We do not hold information on intermediaries.
	Information on the 10 companies responsible for the largest number of solar photovoltaic (PV) installations of up to 50kW capacity is available from the Microgeneration Certification Scheme database. Listed alphabetically, these companies are:
	A Shade Greener Ltd
	AVC Energy Ltd
	British Gas Solar Ltd
	Clear Air Solutions UK Ltd
	EAGA Clean Energy Ltd (EAGA Clean Energy)
	Ecosparx Ltd
	House Choice Ltd
	Mark Group Ltd
	PV Solar UK Ltd
	Solarcentury Holdings Ltd.

Solar Power: Manpower

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of people employed in the solar industry;
	(2)  whether his Department has forecast future levels of employment in the solar industry.

Charles Hendry: We estimate that, based on the number of solar photovoltaic installations by the end of October 2011, around 8,000 to 14,000 gross full-time equivalent jobs have been supported by solar PV since the introduction of the feed-in tariffs (FITs) scheme. The total number of people doing some solar PV work is likely to be higher than this range because those who are involved in solar PV installations are also likely to undertake other tasks linked to their employment.
	An impact assessment has been published to support the consultation on FITs for solar PV. This includes an assessment of the economic impacts of the consultation proposals, including the impact on jobs. The impact assessment is available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/fits-comp-review-p1/3416-fits-ia-solar-pv-draft.pdf

Wind Power

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many wind turbines have been constructed in each year since 2005.

Charles Hendry: The following table shows the number of wind turbines installed and operational each year from 2005. All data are sourced from the renewable energy planning database which tracks the progress of renewable electricity projects in the United Kingdom from inception, through planning, construction and operational phases, and is updated on a monthly basis.(1,2)
	(1) https://restats.decc.gov.uk/cms/planning-database/
	(2) Data include resubmitted applications but exclude many small-scale, micro-generation sites, typically of less than 50 kW installed capacity.
	
		
			  Number of onshore Capacity of onshore (MW) Number of offshore Capacity of offshore (MW) 
			 2005 321 428 30 90 
			 2006 216 434 30 90 
			 2007 290 555 27 100 
			 2008 316 588 54 194 
			 2009 258 422 103 353 
			 2010 336 614 130 390 
			 2011(1) 100 188 51 184 
			 (1) As at end September 2011.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to implement the non-domestic permitted development rights for small wind systems.

Charles Hendry: The Department for Communities and Local Government are currently reviewing the scope for permitted development rights for microgeneration installations on non domestic premises, including small wind turbines. They will announce their plans for England only, as planning is a devolved matter, in due course.

HEALTH

Abortion: Northern Ireland

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on access by women in Northern Ireland to NHS abortion services in the rest of the UK.

Anne Milton: Women travelling from Northern Ireland seeking an abortion in England, under the Abortion Act 1967, as amended, make their own arrangements and pay for their abortion privately.

Air Pollution

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the national health service is of treating health conditions resulting from PM10 exceedances in London in each year since 2005.

Anne Milton: We are not aware of any estimate of treatment costs to the national health service for conditions resulting from PM10 exceedances in London in each year since 2005.

Ambulance Services: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect on ambulance response times in Warrington of the transfer of emergency patients between Warrington and Chester in the event that a South Mersey vascular centre is based in Chester;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the additional resources which would be required by the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust in the event that it was required to transfer emergency patients to a vascular centre in Chester and continue to meet the required response times in Warrington;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effect on the number of deaths consequent on the loss of immediate support for iatrogenic vascular injury in other surgical procedures and specialties performing invasive procedures in Warrington Hospital in the event that the South Mersey vascular centre is located in Chester.

Simon Burns: Vascular services across the national health service in England are being reviewed locally. This is in response to the growing clinical evidence base that provides a strong case for providing vascular surgery services in fewer more specialised centres or networks to achieve optimal patient outcomes.
	Decisions about the provision of local health services, including vascular services, are a matter for the local NHS. As such no assessment has been made by the Department.
	The Cheshire and Merseyside Vascular Review Project Board is leading a review of vascular surgery services in Cheshire and Merseyside which will be subject to public consultation in due course.
	Information on the proposed changes to vascular services in Cheshire and Merseyside can be obtained from Kathy Doran, Chief Executive of the Cheshire, Warrington and Wirral Primary Care Trust cluster board.

Arthritis: Physiotherapy

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 October 2011, Official Report, columns 1041-2W, on physiotherapy: arthritis, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of proposed NHS reforms on trends in patient self-referral to physiotherapy services for people with (a) rheumatoid arthritis and (b) other long-term conditions; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: It is for local national health service organisations to make their own decisions about routes of referral for physiotherapy, based on which route is clinically appropriate and of value to the health care system and local community.
	Both the “Self-referral pilots to musculoskeletal physiotherapy and the implications for improving access to other AHP services” and the “Allied Health Professions Service Improvement Project” referred to in the answer of 19 October 2011, Official Report, columns 1041-42W, provide examples of the benefits of patient self-referral to physiotherapy as part of the service redesign.

Baby Care Units

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were employed in each neonatal unit in each of the last three years.

Simon Burns: The information requested is not collected by the Department.

Baby Care Units

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mortality rates were in each neonatal unit in each of the last three years.

Anne Milton: This information is not available centrally.
	Since 2009, the Neonatal Data Analysis Unit (NDAU) has published data on the number of deaths by neonatal network code. Deaths are recorded by neonatal network, rather than neonatal unit, because babies are transferred between units. Published data are set out in the following table. Note that the 2008 data (absolute numbers) are not available. The 2009 and 2010 data are not directly comparable. Data coverage for 2010 were improved, but coverage for both years is incomplete. The data are therefore not representative of the total number of deaths that occurred. From 2011 onward, NDAU plan to publish statistics by network name.
	
		
			  Number of babies in neonatal care (<33 weeks gestational age) Observed deaths 
			 Network code 2009 2010 2009 2010 
			 100011(1) 287 267 22 28 
			 100012 280 264 19 20 
			 100059(2) 443 615 39 57 
			 100070(3) 266 385 15 32 
			 100071(3) 327 423 13 29 
			 100078 205 288 8 20 
			 100088(2) 261 262 11 14 
			 100106 307 284 25 17 
			 100107(3) 164 — 12 — 
			 100108(3) 248 602 20 59 
			 100109(3) 261 404 12 31 
			 100110(2) 15 188 1 19 
			 100111(1) — 122 — 16 
			 100113(1) — 25 — 5 
			 100115(2) 397 519 43 36 
			 100118(3) 160 207 7 14 
			 100142(2) 286 560 20 35 
			 100150(1) 406 297 34 19 
			 100162(1) 287 146 33 11 
			 100196(3) 362 413 23 27 
			 100208(2) 346 484 22 42 
			 100209(1) — 231 — 28 
			 100210(2) 131 329 11 23 
			 100524 412 383 40 23 
			 (1) Not all the neonatal units within the network have provided data for 2010. (2) Not all the neonatal units within the network have provided data for 2009-10. (3) Not all the neonatal units within the network have provided data for 2009. Notes: 1. Number of neonatal deaths (<33 weeks gestation at birth) by neonatal network of booking 1 in England, 2009, 2010 2. Determined by intended place of delivery. Source: Neonatal Data Analysis Unit (NDAU), Imperial College. 
		
	
	Further information about the NDAU’s work can be obtained from the NDAU Division of Medicine, Imperial College London, Academic Department of Neonatal Medicine, 4(th) Floor, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 369 Fulham Road, London SW10 9NH.

Bell Pottinger Group

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) political advisers in his Department have met representatives of (i) Bell Pottinger Group or (ii) each of its subsidiaries in the last five years; on what dates any such meetings took place; and what was discussed.

Simon Burns: Details of all ministerial meetings with external parties are published quarterly in arrears on the Department’s website. Data from 1 January 2010 up to the end of March 2011 can be found at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Aboutus/MinistersandDepartmentLeaders/Departmentdirectors/DH_110759
	No data are held prior to this date. No special advisers have met with the Bell Pottinger Group or its subsidiaries. No data are held prior to 13 May 2010. Information on whether officials have met with the Bell Pottinger Group or its subsidiaries could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust: Neurology

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will conduct a review of neurosurgery at the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), has no plans to conduct a review of neurosurgery at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust. We are aware that the trust is working to improve services for patients as part of long term plans to move neuroscience services from the Princess Royal hospital, Haywards Heath to a new purpose built site at the Royal Sussex County hospital, Brighton and that the trust has undertaken to keep the right hon. Member informed.

Cannabis: Mental Illness

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has established any link between use of skunk cannabis and admissions to acute mental health services; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The Department commissioned a systematic review of studies in this area. The peer-reviewed results of this review were published in the Lancet in July 2007 and confirmed the increased evidence of an association, possibly causal, between prior cannabis use and later development of psychosis and schizophrenia with a 40% increase in risk reported (up to 200% increase for at-risk heavy users).
	With funding from DH, the Centre for Public Health and School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences at Liverpool John Moores university produced a report summarising recent research evidence on the health harms of drugs, including cannabis. The report, ‘A Summary of the Health Harms of Drugs’, was published in August 2011. This report summarises the links between cannabis and mental health problems as a small but significantly increased risk of psychotic symptoms and disorders later in life and a complex association between cannabis use and schizophrenia.
	The Government's advisory committee on drugs, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, carried out a substantial review of the harms associated with cannabis use, including the physical and psychological effects of cannabis.
	Their report, ‘Cannabis: Classification and Public Health’ (2008), copies of which have already been placed in the Library, found a probable but weak causal link between psychotic illness and cannabis use.

Clinical Commissioning Groups

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  on what basis the budget allocations to shadow clinical commissioning groups were calculated for (a) commissioning services and (b) running costs in 2012-13;
	(2)  what steps he plans to take to allocate resources to shadow clinical commissioning groups for the purposes of reducing health inequalities;
	(3)  what plans he has for developing the weighted capitation formula for NHS commissioning.

Simon Burns: Shadow allocations to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) for 2012-13 will be published later this year. The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), has asked the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation, an independent committee including general practitioners, national health service managers, public health experts and academics, to continue to advise on the distribution of NHS resources, including allocations made to CCGs.
	We are currently making an assessment of the existing cost of functions undertaken by primary care trusts and strategic health authorities which will be the responsibility of CCGs in the future.
	Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill, from 2013-14, the NHS Commissioning Board would be responsible for the allocation of resources to CCGs.
	The Board would allocate resources to CCGs in a way that supports the principle of securing equivalent access to NHS services relative to the prospective burden of disease and disability. How these allocations are determined would be a matter for the Board, but they will have a duty to have regard to reducing inequalities in access to, and the outcomes from health care.

Clinical Commissioning Groups

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the likely extent of (a) over- and (b) under-spending by NHS commissioners in 2011-12.

Simon Burns: At the end of quarter one of 2011-12, there were three primary care trusts (PCTS) forecasting an aggregate deficit between them, of £56 million. These were Haringey PCT (£20 million), Enfield PCT (£19 million) and Barnet PCT (£17 million).
	At the end of quarter one of 2011-12, there were 148 PCTs forecasting an aggregate surplus between them, of £517 million.
	This means that PCTs were forecasting a net aggregate surplus of £461 million.
	The Department is ensuring that the organisations forecasting a deficit have plans in place for financial recovery, while continuing to improve the quality of services to patients.

Clinical Commissioning Groups

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the additional administrative costs for NHS commissioners in areas with poor health;
	(2)  what methodology his Department used in calculating the proposed running cost allocations for shadow clinical commissioning groups.

Simon Burns: Shadow allocations to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) for 2012-13 will be published later this year. The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), has asked the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocations, an independent committee including general practitioners, national health service managers, public health experts and academics, to continue to advise on the distribution of NHS resources, including allocations made to CCGs.
	We are currently making an assessment of the existing cost of functions undertaken by primary care trusts and strategic health authorities which will be the responsibility of CCGs in the future.
	Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill, from 2013-14, the NHS Commissioning Board would be responsible for the allocation of resources to CCGs.
	The Board would allocate resources to CCGs in a way that supports the principle of securing equivalent access to NHS services relative to the prospective burden of disease and disability. How these allocations are determined would be a matter for the Board, but they will have a duty to have regard to reducing inequalities in access to, and the outcomes from health care.

Dental Services

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with representatives of dentists on NHS dental treatment.

Simon Burns: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), has had no discussions with dental representatives in the last three months. The Under-Secretary of State for Health, my noble Friend Earl Howe, who leads on dentistry within the ministerial team, has visited a dental practice, the Collins House Dental Practice in Hereford, and met with the practice dentists.

Consultants

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the correction to the answer of 25 October 2011, Official Report, column 192-3W, on departmental management consultants, how many NHS bodies excluding foundation trusts, were counted in the expenditure on consulting in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09, (c) 2009-10 and (d) 2010-11.

Simon Burns: The following table shows for the financial years from 2007-08 to 2010-11, (1) the total number of NHS Bodies (excluding, foundation trusts) which existed in the years 2007-08 to 2010-11 and (2) of those organisations, how many reported spend on consultancy expenditure.
	
		
			  NHS bodies (excluding foundation trusts) Number of NHS bodies who provided data on consultancy expenditure 
			 2010-11 277 275 
			 2009-10 283 282 
			 2008-09 311 308 
			 2007-08 340 323

Equal Opportunities

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps his Department has taken to promote equality of opportunity for its employees.

Simon Burns: The Department of Health has a number of strategies and policies in place to promote equality of opportunity. These include the Single Equality Scheme; a Diversity Delivery Plan; an equal opportunities statement; and a range of human resources and diversity-specific policies that are designed to promote and embed equality considerations in all decision-making processes and ways of working (including those covering desired behaviours).
	All relevant policies and practices are assessed for the impact on equality. All strategies, policies and initiatives are communicated to staff, using a range of media, including face-to-face team briefings

Flags

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many flags his Department (a) owns and (b) maintains; and at what annual cost to the public purse.

Simon Burns: The Department owns one Union flag which flies 365 days of the year, from the flagpole at its official headquarters, building, Richmond house, Whitehall. The flag is replaced depending on condition as required. The annual costs are £220.00 (excluding VAT and carriage costs).

Departmental Website

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many unique hits his Department's website received in each of the last 12 months.

Simon Burns: The total number of page impressions received on the Department's website in the past 12 months is 46,728,836.
	This breaks down across the past 12 months as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 November 2010 4,317,636 
			 December 2010 3,755,603 
			 January 2011 4,633,141 
			 February 2011 4,062,242 
			 March 2011 4,571,770 
			 April 2011 3,661,640 
			 May 2011 4,020,920 
			 June 2011 3,596,999 
			 July 2011 3,380,049 
			 August 2011 3,182,578 
			 September 2011 3,410,391 
			 October 2011 4,135,867

Departmental Website

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what social media his Department uses.

Simon Burns: The Department uses the following social media channels:
	Twitter;
	YouTube;
	Flickr; and
	Facebook.

Older Workers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged over (a) 55 and (b) 65 his Department employs.

Simon Burns: The Department employs 344 people aged 55 years and over and, of these, 10 people are aged 65 years and over.

Press Releases

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many press releases his Department has issued in the last 12 months.

Simon Burns: The Department issued 362 press releases between 1 November 2010 and 31 October 2011.

Diabetes

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to standardise the procedure for referral to specialist care for those admitted to emergency care following episodes of hypoglycaemia. [R]

Paul Burstow: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Quality Standard for Diabetes, published earlier this year, specifically includes the quality statement that people with diabetes who have experienced hypoglycaemia requiring medical attention are referred to a specialist diabetes team.
	The Quality Standards provide authoritative definitions of good quality care, for use by clinicians and commissioners. It is for the national health service to have regard to these Quality Standards.

Diabetes

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment of the level of implementation by primary care trusts of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on the use of patient education models for diabetes. [R]

Paul Burstow: We do not collect centrally the data that would allow such an assessment of implementation to be made.
	However, it is important that people with diabetes do receive structured education and support as part of their care. The NHS Operating Framework 2011-12 specifically states that primary care trusts should be commissioning the relevant structured patient education to support people newly diagnosed with diabetes and at appropriate points in their life as their condition progresses.

Diabetes

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve access to specialist healthcare support for diabetics in care homes; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Paul Burstow: It is for local national health service organisations to commission a comprehensive service for all people with diabetes, including access to specialist health care.
	Diabetes management in care homes continues to pose significant challenges to health and social care professionals in the provision of high quality, safe and effective care. We welcome work undertaken in 2010 by a Task and Finish Group of Diabetes UK, led by Professor Alan Sinclair, which produced ‘Good clinical practice guidelines for care home residents with diabetes’. The need for specialist input is an important recommendation of this national guidance.
	The guidance is available on the Diabetes UK website at:
	www.diabetes.org.uk/Documents/About%20Us/Our%20 views/Care%20recs/Care-homes-0110.pdf
	In addition to the work listed above, the Older People's Steering Group of NHS Diabetes, chaired by Professor Sinclair, has been involved in undertaking a large diabetes audit within care homes during the previous 12 months. While this audit shows evidence of variation in the quality of care, a lack of knowledge of diabetes among care home staff, and absence of specific diabetes policies, there does appear to be enthusiasm within care homes to enhance the quality of care and to be more engaged in promoting training and education of staff. A number of initiatives are taking place to look at the risk of hypoglycaemia and medication errors in care homes, as well as developing a national course to educate care home staff in some aspects of diabetes management.

Diabetes

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to encourage the recruitment of diabetes-specialist nurses in primary care settings. [R]

Paul Burstow: The Government consider that diabetes specialist nurses are an essential part of the diabetes specialist team and have a valuable part to play in supporting people with diabetes.
	It is for local national health service organisations to commission a comprehensive service for people with diabetes, including access to specialist health care. It is local health care organisations, with their knowledge of the health care needs of their local populations, that are also best placed to determine the work force required to deliver safe patient care within their available resources.

Diabetes

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to encourage the provision of lifestyle management techniques education to (a) those with diabetes and (b) those at risk of developing diabetes. [R]

Paul Burstow: Type 1 diabetes is not currently preventable. type 2 diabetes is closely linked to lifestyle factors such as being overweight or physical inactivity.
	For those people who have been diagnosed with diabetes, guidelines issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) emphasise the importance of patient education. This is reflected in the NICE Quality Standard for Diabetes. The 2011-12 NHS Operating Framework also signals the need to commission patient structured education for people newly diagnosed with diabetes and at appropriate points in their life as their condition progresses.
	The Government recently published “Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A call to action on obesity in England”, which sets out our commitment to key programmes such as Change4Life and the NHS Health Check.
	In July 2011, the chief medical officer also published revised physical activity guidelines. The guidelines set out clear recommendations on the amount of physical activity people need to do to benefit their health, and how it can fit into their daily lives. The report includes evidence to show that there is a 30 to 40% lower risk of type 2 diabetes in at least moderately active people compared with those who are sedentary.
	NICE also recently published guidance entitled “Preventing type 2 diabetes: population and community-level interventions in high-risk groups and the general population”. A second piece of guidance on type 2 diabetes, looking at interventions aimed at individuals at high risk, is due to be published in May 2012.

Diabetes: Admissions

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment of the effect on (a) in-patient admission times and (b) costs to the NHS of introducing diabetes inpatient specialist nurse services. [R]

Paul Burstow: In October NHS Diabetes published, ‘Inpatient care for people with diabetes: the economic case for change’, which summarised evidence showing that specialist diabetes in-patient teams can improve the quality of patient care and reduce national health service costs by lowering the incidence of adverse events, cutting lengths of stay,, reducing admission and readmission rates, and increasing day case rates.
	All in-patients with diabetes should have access to diabetes specialists and receive the treatment they need to avoid longer stays and readmissions, which have significant cost implications for the NHS. Initiatives such as the National Diabetes Inpatient Audit are key to identifying areas for improvement, and developing a better understanding of the issues faced by people with diabetes while in hospital.

Diabetes: Admissions

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that secondary care staff are trained in the appropriate discharge procedures for patients with diabetes and that such procedures are applied to all patients with diabetes including cases where diabetes was not the primary cause of admission. [R]

Paul Burstow: Appropriate discharge from hospital is an important element of the care of people with diabetes and requires good communication between secondary, primary and community health care services. The 2011-12 NHS Operating Framework specifically highlights the need for National Health Service providers to consider the overall management of in-patients with diabetes. In addition the NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) Quality Standard for Diabetes emphasises the overall importance of integrated diabetes care and specifies care for readmission prevention for patients admitted with glucose emergencies.
	The content and standard of health care training is the responsibility of the independent regulatory bodies. Through their role as the custodians of quality standards in education and practice, these organisations are committed to ensuring high quality patient care delivered by high quality health professionals and that health care professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to deal with the problems and conditions they will encounter in practice.

Diabetes: Nurses

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist nurses in diabetes mellitus there are; and how much was spent on their salaries and associated costs in the latest period for which figure are available.

Simon Burns: The current number of diabetic specialist nurses employed by the national health service is not collected centrally. The salary costs for diabetes nurses are not available because the salary costs for nursing are not broken down into specialist nursing areas.

Drugs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many officials in his Department have been disciplined for misconduct related to drug use in the last 12 months.

Simon Burns: No official of the Department has been managed through the disciplinary process for misconduct relating to drug use in the last 12 months.

Drugs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on mandatory drug testing of its employees.

Simon Burns: The roles and functions within the Department do not require testing of this nature. In circumstances in which employees on secondment are subject to random drug testing, because they have practitioner roles in their parent organisations, these tests are carried out by that organisation.
	The Department has health and well-being policies in place for those employees who need support because of substance misuse. Practical support is available in the form of an employee assistance programme and occupational health provision.

Health Services: Older People

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many unplanned hospital admissions for people aged 65 years and over there were, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) NHS commissioner in each month in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10, (iii) 2010-11 and (iv) 2011 to date.

Paul Burstow: The Department does not have data in the format requested but does have data with a count of finished admission episodes (FAEs) where the age of the patient is 65 or over; by month, primary care trust of responsibility and local authority of residence for the years 2008-09 to 2011-12. Data for 2011-12 are provisional and only for the months April to June inclusive.
	It should be noted that the information on FAEs is not a count of patients as a patient may have been admitted more than once during the period stated. The footnotes contain further information which should be used when interpreting the data.
	This information has been placed in the Library.
	Source
	NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care

Health Services: Overseas Visitors

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list each payment due from EU countries and Switzerland to the UK for NHS treatment for their nationals made in each financial year from 1999-2000 to 2009-10.

Anne Milton: The following table shows total payments made by member states of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, to the United Kingdom, for health care benefits in kind under European social security regulations in the financial years 2007-08 to 2010-11. Comparable data for earlier years are not available.
	
		
			 EEA medical costs—Payments to UK 2007-08 to 2010-11 (1,2) 
			 £ 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Austria 0 30,000 48,000 145,000 
			 Belgium(3) 4,682,000 2,820,000 1,743,000 931,000 
		
	
	
		
			 Bulgaria(4) 0 0 0 0 
			 Cyprus 0 0 0 0 
			 Czech Republic 0 2,000 78,000 35,000 
			 Denmark (Waiver)(5) 0 0 0 0 
			 Estonia (Waiver)(6) 0 0 0 0 
			 Finland (Waiver)(7) 0 0 2,000 0 
			 France 2,164,000 5,224,000 6,545,000 1,768,000 
			 Germany 1,120,000 94,000 546,000 2,916,000 
			 Greece 175,000 864,000 246,000 269,000 
			 Hungary (Waiver)(7) 11,000 8,000 38,000 0 
			 Iceland 42,000 0 25,000 19,000 
			 Ireland(3) 19,004,000 19,560,000 22,723,000 20,229,000 
			 Italy(6) 4,655,000 0 672,000 19,517,000 
			 Latvia 0 0 0 11,000 
			 Liechtenstein 0 0 0 0 
			 Lithuania 0 0 0 5,000 
			 Luxembourg 0 0 0 10,000 
			 Malta (Waiver)(8) 0 0 0 0 
			 Netherlands(3) 0 0 6,581,000 0 
			 Norway (Waiver)(5) 0 0 0 0 
			 Poland 0 0 0 374,000 
			 Portugal 29,000 18,000 152,000 39,000 
			 Romania(4) 0 0 0 0 
			 Slovakia 0 0 0 22,000 
			 Slovenia 0 6,000 61,000 270,000 
			 Spain 106,000 4,226,000 158,000 1,631,000 
			 Sweden 951,000 280,000 865,000 3,334,000 
			 Switzerland 9,000 0 38,000 211,000 
			 Total 32,900,000 33,100,000 40,500,000 51,700,000 
			 (1 )Comparable data for years prior to 2007-08 cannot be provided as it would incur disproportionate cost. (2 )Country totals are rounded to the nearest 1,000. Overall totals are rounded to the nearest 100,000. Sub-totals may not add up to totals due to rounding. (3 )Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands. Totals includes amounts offset for the value of certain UK claims as provided for by the bilateral agreements with those countries. (4 )Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union on 1 January 2007. Both countries have yet to produce average costs therefore there are no claims to date from either country. (5 )Denmark—Full waiver. (6 )Estonia and Norway—Waiver, excepting Article 22.1c (patient referral) and Article 55.1c (industrial injury) claims. (7 )Finland, Hungary and Malta—Waiver, excepting Article 22.1c (patient referral) claims. (8 )Italy—Totals for 2007-08 include an exchange rate currency gain arising from the payment offset provisions of the former Italy-UK bilateral agreement. That agreement terminated on 31 December 2009. No payments were received in 2008-09. Note: Payments in any one year may relate to claims for one or more previous years, and can vary significantly based on when other member states pay a claim and when the UK submits the claims. Therefore significant variations from year to year are common.

Health Services: Overseas Visitors

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost to the public purse has been of interest payments owed to other European Economic Area member states and Switzerland for outstanding health care claims made in each financial year between 1997-98 and 2009-10.

Anne Milton: As the provision for interest to be charged on claims for health care benefits in kind in Regulation 987/2009 entered into force on 1 May 2010, no interest was incurred or paid in the financial years 1997-98 to 2009-10.

Health Services: Overseas Visitors

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department gives to GP practices on the registration of people who are not ordinarily resident in the UK.

Simon Burns: The concept of being ordinarily resident has no bearing on a person's eligibility to receive primary care in England. It is up to the discretion of the general practitioner (GP) as to who he registers as a national health service patient, though he must have reasonable non-discriminatory grounds to refuse someone.
	On 18 March 2011, the Government announced a further review regarding charging foreign nationals for NHS services. This will include consideration of whether GP services and other non-hospital NHS services should be charged for.
	The review will be thorough and consultative, and will take full account of NHS values, public health needs and humanitarian obligations. We expect that developed proposals will be ready for further consultation during 2012. Following this, further guidance with regard to this issue wilt be published.

Heart Diseases: Health Services

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the merits of introducing a new national service framework for cardiac services;
	(2)  what assessment he made of the merits of appointing a cardiac specialist to the NHS Commissioning Board;
	(3)  what plans he has for the future role of stroke clinical networks under his proposals for NHS reorganisation;
	(4)  when he expects to announce the appointment of the next National Clinical Director for Stroke.

Simon Burns: The Government have committed to embed and strengthen existing clinical networks and to use clinical networks to help ensure that a range of professionals play an integral part in continuously improving the quality of services and care for patients. A review of clinical networks is currently under way to consider the functions, structures and governance that will most effectively support commissioners to deliver improved quality and outcomes in the future. From April 2013, funding of clinical networks will be a decision for the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB).
	Future arrangements for the provision of senior clinical advice and the development of clinical strategies are being discussed as part of developing the role of the NHS CB.

HIV Infection: EU Action

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the availability of HIV/AIDS treatments.

Anne Milton: Department of Health Ministers have had no formal discussions with their European Union counterparts on the availability of treatment for HIV and AIDS.

Hospitals: Consultants

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of redundancies of consultants in each of the next three years.

Simon Burns: There is no estimate of the number of redundancies of consultants in each of the next three years.
	Work force planning is the responsibility of primary care trusts and strategic health authorities. They have to analyse their local situation, develop plans and take action to recruit the appropriate staff required to deliver high quality services.
	The latest monthly work force statistics for July 2011 show that since May 2010 the number of consultants working in the national health service in England has increased by 1,412 (4.0%) to 36,586.

Hospitals: Hygiene

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) letters and (b) emails on antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospitals he has received in the last 12 months.

Simon Burns: A total of 32 letters and 12 e-mails relating to antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospitals have been identified from the ministerial correspondence database for the last 12 months. Most of these included a reference to the existence of methicillin-resistant
	Staphylococcus aureus
	in hospitals rather than a focus on antibiotic resistance itself.

Influenza: Vaccination

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been issued with the influenza vaccine by the NHS in 2011 to date.

Anne Milton: As at 6 November, an estimated 8.3 million people have been vaccinated against seasonal flu by general practitioners in England since September 2011 as part of the national health service seasonal flu immunisation programme. Information on the number of healthcare workers vaccinated this season is not yet available, but will published on the Department's website.

Injuries: Dog Attacks

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were admitted to hospital for injuries caused by dog attacks in each strategic health authority area since June 2010; and what the estimated cost to the NHS is of such admissions.

Simon Burns: The information requested is in the following table. Numbers of admissions from March 2011 are not yet available.
	The information requested on the costs to the national health service is not collected centrally.
	
		
			 Number of finished admission episodes (1 ) with a cause code of bitten or struck by dog (2) , by strategic health authority (SHA) of residence (3) , June 2010 to March 2011 
			   2010 2011  
			 SHA Description Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Total 
			 Q30 North East Strategic Health Authority 49 47 53 44 40 35 34 38 34 34 408 
			 Q31 North West Strategic Health Authority 96 100 97 92 97 82 73 93 75 83 888 
			 Q32 Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority 73 78 86 83 77 62 49 69 49 63 689 
			 033 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority 39 39 36 34 33 37 36 39 35 28 356 
			 034 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority 71 59 62 43 58 35 48 45 41 41 503 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority 39 49 56 35 42 48 48 23 36 51 427 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 42 39 43 47 44 46 51 49 43 52 456 
			 Q37 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority 30 23 31 24 25 22 8 26 18 26 233 
			 Q38 South Central Strategic Health Authority 43 59 45 47 48 50 39 39 34 49 453 
			 Q39 South West Strategic Health Authority 56 38 54 41 45 61 42 31 28 48 444 
		
	
	
		
			  Other/unknown 10 7 3 8 4 6 8 6 6 4 62 
			 (1) Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. (2) Cause code A supplementary code that indicates the nature of any external cause of injury, poisoning or other adverse effects. Only the first external cause code which is coded within the episode is counted in hospital episode statistics. Cause code used: W54—Bitten or struck by dog. (3) SHA/primary care trust (PCT) of residence The SHA or PCT containing the patient's normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment. Note: Activity included Activity in English NHS hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector.

Mental Health Services: Ex-servicemen

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of former armed forces personnel who have experienced mental health problems in each of the last 10 years .

Simon Burns: The fact that someone has served in the armed forces is not recorded within national health service information systems, so these figures are not available.
	The Department is working closely with the Ministry of Defence to improve the information provided to general practitioners (GPs) on the discharge of forces personnel, so that veterans can be more easily identified.
	The report, “Fighting Fit”, published in October 2010, by my hon. Friend the Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison), was also focused on the improvement of mental health outcomes for veterans. One of its recommendations is that a ‘Veterans Information Service' be established, which will follow veterans up to 12 months after leaving the forces and furnish the NHS with more information regarding their mental healthcare.
	Lastly, the Department also recently developed and launched an e-learning package aimed at GPs, in conjunction with the Royal College of General Practitioners. The aim of this work is to better familiarise GPs with the specific needs and issues they may face as part of the ex-service community. There is a specific part of this course which focuses on mental health.

Mental Health Services: Ex-servicemen

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding is available for community groups to assist veterans with mental health problems.

Simon Burns: Over the past year, the Department has committed considerable resource towards the improvement of outcomes for veterans' mental health.
	Dr Andrew Murrison's report, ‘Fighting Fit’, a mental health plan for servicemen and veterans, was published in October 2010 with the aim of improving outcomes for veterans in this area. The Government accepted all of Dr Murrison's recommendations and immediately announced that they would commit £7.2 million, over the four-year spending review period, to achieve his specified objectives.
	During the course of 2009-11, the Department assisted in the set-up and functioning of ‘Armed Forces Networks’ in each strategic health authority area. The aim of these has been to bring together a partnership in each local area of any national health service, third sector, local government and other stakeholders with an interest in military and veterans' health and well-being. It has been by working in conjunction with these networks—operational within each local community—that the Department has been able to get the money out to take forward ground-breaking work in this important area.
	The following is a summary of some of the type of work that has been taken forward:
	Vulnerable Veterans and Adult Dependants: a fast-track mental health service in the north-west located at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire. Since it was launched, specially-trained therapists taking referrals through the service have seen 2,000 patients and provided 1,300 hours of therapy to patients suffering from anxiety/depression/ post-traumatic stress disorder. The service allows people to be seen within weeks.
	Finchale College, based in Durham, provides customised programmes of vocational rehabilitation to those with disabilities for return to employment. The college has been working with veterans.
	South-West Veterans' Mental Health Veterans' Partnership Service—developed in partnership with the South West Armed Forces Network, and Combat Stress, and supported by Help for Heroes. The service has a self-referral service where veterans can find help.
	Veterans' mental health services are now being rolled out all over the country in conjunction with Armed Forces Networks and using departmental funding. For example, the North West's Military Veterans' Service was launched on 11 November 2011 in conjunction with the Armed Forces Network, and Pennine Care NHS Trust. Also, the charity ‘London Timebank’ launched the Shoulder to Shoulder pilot project in conjunction with Combat Stress. This is a peer mentoring project for ex-servicemen and women by other veterans who have successfully made the transition out into civilian life.

NHS

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the clinical effect of disruption of existing joint working arrangements between NHS trusts when establishing new clinical networks; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: No such assessment has been made. We expect any changes to the configuration of services to have regard to clinical effectiveness, patient safety and patient experience.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of primary care trusts (PCTs) progress towards target shares of resources under the weighted capitation formula; and what plans he has to reduce the distance from target of each PCT.

Simon Burns: The distribution of funding used for 2011-12 PCT recurrent revenue allocations ensured all PCTs had growth to allow them to meet their ongoing commitments and meet the needs of their local populations. In spite of the financial pressures, we still managed to move those PCTs that are furthest away from target towards their target allocation. The most under-target PCT at the start of 2011-12 received growth of 4.2%, in its recurrent allocations, compared to an average of 2.2%. By the end of 2011-12, no PCT will be more than 7.2% below target.
	Decisions about 2012-13 PCT revenue allocations have not yet been finalised.
	Subject to the passing of the Health and Social Care Bill, the NHS Commissioning Board will be responsible for the allocation of national health service resources and pace-of-change policy to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). The board would be expected to allocate resources to CCGs in a way that supports the principle of securing equivalent access to NHS services relative to the prospective burden of disease and disability. How these allocations and pace-of-change policy are determined would be a matter for the board.

NHS: Manpower

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS public health staff were in post in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: The information is not collected centrally.

NHS: Pay

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nurses have been downbanded and (b) hospitals have downgraded staff in the last 12 months.

Simon Burns: This information is not held centrally. It is for the national health service locally to decide on the number and payband of the staff they need to provide high quality, safe and effective services for patients.

NHS: Pensions

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of members of the NHS Pension Scheme are (a) part-time, (b) full-time, (c) male, (d) female, (e) active members and (f) deferred members/pensioners.

Simon Burns: Estimates based on data extracted from the electronic staff record in March 2011 show the following information:
	(a) The proportion of hospital and community health services staff working part-time is 35%.
	(b) The proportion of hospital and community health services staff working full-time is 65%.
	Information from the NHS pension scheme and NHS Compensation for Premature Retirement Scheme Accounts 2009-10 provides the following information:
	(c) The proportion of male members of the scheme at 31 March 2010 was 25%.
	(d) The proportion of female members of the scheme at 31 March 2010 was 75%.
	Information from the NHS pension scheme and NHS Compensation for Premature Retirement Scheme Accounts 2010-11 provides the following information
	(e) The number of active members of the scheme at 31 March 2011 was 1,329,479.
	(f) The number of deferred members of the scheme was 560,332 and the number of pensioner members of the scheme was 669,090 at 31 March 2011.

NHS: Waiting Lists

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect projected levels of NHS funding will have on (a) waiting lists and (b) provision of expensive treatment options.

Simon Burns: National health service funding will increase by £12.5 billion over the spending review period. Together with efficiency improvements of up to £20 billion over the same period, this will enable the NHS to maintain maximum waiting times standards set in the NHS Constitution and to continue to meet rising demand and cost pressures, including new drugs and treatments where these are effective and cost-effective.

Nurses

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will restore the role of state-enrolled nurses.

Anne Milton: Enrolled nurses are now known as level two nurses and must be registered on part two of the nurses' part of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (MNC) register. The NMC no longer approves programmes for nurses on part two of the register.

Nurses

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will order a review of the training of nurses.

Anne Milton: The standards of nurse education are set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. They have recently consulted on and reviewed nurse education and with the national health service and universities are in the process of implementing a new curriculum by September 2013.

Obesity: Health Services

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of progress with the Government's obesity strategy; what assessment he has made of likely progress by 2013; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The Government published ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A call to action on obesity in England’ on October 2011. The document set out details of two new national ambitions for reversing the trend in the level of excess weight in children and adults by 2020.
	We will be establishing a National Ambition Review Group for obesity to review progress and consider further action.
	A copy of the Call to Action has already been placed in the Library.

Organ: Donors

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage elderly people to volunteer as organ donors.

Anne Milton: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is the organ donation organisation responsible for matching and allocating donated organs. It is in the process of agreeing a partnership with the National Council of Palliative Care (NCPC) and has joined their Dying Matters Coalition. The NCPC leads the coalition and aims to change public attitudes and behaviours around dying, death and bereavement. The coalition members include organisations from across the national health service, voluntary and independent health and care sectors, charities and faith organisations, among others, and is working with people in the 55 to 65 and 65 to 75 age groups.
	NHSBT have also identified a number of organisations that have a greater affinity and/or membership from the over 55 age group. NHSBT are looking at ways to work with these organisations to increase awareness of organ donation and encourage greater sign up to the Organ Donor Register.

Palliative Care: Finance

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated to his Department’s end-of-life care strategy after 2011; and what proportion of such funding has been ring-fenced for the 12 key activities identified in that strategy.

Paul Burstow: Funding for the end-of-life care strategy remains in primary care trust (PCT) baseline allocations. PCT allocations are not ring-fenced. It is for individual PCTs to decide how best to deliver implementation, including how much funding to provide for the key priorities the strategy identified.
	For 2011-12, £5.5 million has been allocated to support national work and projects and an indicative allocation of £38.7 million has been made under the Multi Professional Education and Training (MPET) budget for staff training and development in end-of-life care. The MPET funding is allocated to strategic health authorities (SHAs). It is not ring-fenced and responsibility for how the MPET budget is spent lies with the SHAs.
	Central programme budgets for 2012-13 onwards have not yet been set.

Prescription Drugs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people bought a prescription prepay certificate in each of the last 12 months.

Simon Burns: Information is not collected on the number of people who purchased a prescription pre-payment certificate (PPC). Information on the number of PPCs issued for prescriptions dispensed in England, in each month for the last 12 months is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number 
			 November 2010 127,304 
			 December 2010 98,792 
			 January 2011 116,489 
			 February 2011 114,684 
			 March 2011 143,728 
			 April 2011 102,147 
			 May 2011 122,337 
			 June 2011 107,922 
			 July 2011 116,097 
			 August 2011 135,739 
			 September 2011 117,158 
			 October 2011 112,914 
			 Total 1,415,311 
			 Source: NHS Business Services Authority

Prosthetics: Ex-servicemen

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the adequacy of the prosthetics services for veterans.

Simon Burns: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), has not had any recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), on the adequacy of the prosthetics services for veterans. However, the Government commissioned my hon. Friend the Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison) to produce a report on the provision of prosthetics and rehabilitation to our veterans through the national health service in January this year. This report, ‘A Better Deal for Military Amputees’, was published on 21 October 2011 and accepted by the Government. In his report, Dr Murrison makes a number of recommendations to ensure that veterans continue to receive the excellent standard of care currently provided by the Ministry of Defence when they are in service. Officials are working closely together on implementation of the recommendations.

Radiotherapy

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  with reference to the radiotherapy dataset annual report, whether he plans to reallocate radiotherapy resources to those parts of the country identified as being in most need of investment in radiotherapy facilities; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  with reference to the radiotherapy dataset annual report, what assessment he has made of the (a) incidence of cancer and (b) access to radiotherapy treatment in the Northern Cancer Network;
	(3)  for what reasons his Department has delayed the introduction of a national radiotherapy tariff.

Paul Burstow: Decisions regarding the provision of radiotherapy services are the responsibility of the local commissioners. The “Radiotherapy Dataset (RTDS) Annual Report” enables commissioners and providers to understand how their radiotherapy services compare with other centres and to identify good practice. This will help tackle unwarranted variation and allow national teams to identify where they can focus their efforts in supporting service improvement.
	The RTDS annual report found that North of England Cancer Network had a low rate of radiotherapy attendance per thousand cancer cases and that this rate could not be explained by a variation in cancer incidence. We are advised by NHS North East that the network has said it needs to look at the data to gain a clearer picture. The network has also said it recognises the need to increase capacity in radiotherapy services to reduce the distance that some patients have to travel for their treatment and that it is taking forward work in this area.
	Finally, David Flory, deputy NHS chief executive, wrote to the service on 6 October to outline the proposed payment by results arrangements for 2012-13. This included the proposal to mandate the use of national currencies for external beam radiotherapy. Copies of the letter and the RTDS annual report have been placed in the Library.

Red Cross

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the Red Cross regarding joint projects.

Paul Burstow: The Department is not aware of any recent discussions with the Red Cross on joint projects. However, I intend to meet with the Red Cross in the near future to discuss other issues. In addition, local national health service organisations have direct relationships with the Red Cross and therefore may have had such discussions.

Sickle Cell Diseases

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) letters and (b) emails his Department has received on the subject of sickle cell anaemia in the last 12 months.

Anne Milton: A search of the Department's ministerial correspondence database has identified nine letters and three emails received since 1 November 2010 about sickle cell anaemia. This figure represents correspondence received by the Department's central correspondence team only. One of the letters was a joint petition from the Sickle Society and the United Kingdom Thalassaemia Society about funding for specialised health services.

Skin Cancer

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his assessment is of likely changes in the incidence of malignant melanoma over the next 20 years.

Paul Burstow: The ‘Skin Cancer Vision’ document published alongside ‘Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer’ reported that 10,600 cases of malignant melanoma were diagnosed in the United Kingdom in 2006 and, if current trends continued, there would be around 15,500 cases of melanoma diagnosed in the UK per year within the next 15 years. A copy of the vision document has been placed in the Library.

Skin Cancer

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his Department's strategy ‘Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer’, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of malignant melanoma.

Anne Milton: In 2011-12, the Department has funded SunSmart, the national skin cancer prevention campaign, to provide information and advice to the public. This involves a number of activities focusing on sun safety and appropriate sunbed use.
	The Department has also published implementation guidance for local authorities on the Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 and information for Sunbed Businesses. The purpose of the Act is to prevent those under 18 years from being allowed to use sunbeds in commercial premises.

Smoking

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on smoking cessation.

Anne Milton: The Public Health White Paper ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Our strategy for public health in England’ (cm 7985) sets out the Government's long-term vision for improving public health in England. The White Paper, which is available in the Library, recognises the devastating impact that tobacco use has on public health in our communities.
	Following on from the publication of the White Paper, the Government published ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Tobacco Control Plan for England’ in March 2011. The ‘Tobacco Control Plan for England’, which has already been placed in the Library, was agreed across Government prior to its publication in March 2011, and it includes a chapter on helping tobacco users to quit.

Sport: Schools

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage uptake of sport in schools to assist in prevention of lifestyle diseases.

Anne Milton: We recognise the critical importance of physical activity in preventing lifestyle diseases and the maintenance of good health in childhood and adolescence. The Department is providing £6.4 million between 2011-13 to achieve this aim through the embedding of 3,000 Change4Life School Sports Clubs in secondary schools and creating 4,500 clubs in primary schools. This programme is specifically designed to enable children to be more active, particularly the least active—often those who have not previously been engaged in traditional school sport.
	Evaluation has already shown that the clubs are a "highly effective mechanism for change". Within the target group of those that were not choosing to play sport every week or that were not positive about sport (over 22,500 young people), those choosing to play sport every week increased by 166% and those positive about sport increased by 89%.
	The Department is also supporting participation in school sport by a contribution of £14 million over two years to the School Games which is being led by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and supported by the Department of Education, Youth Sport Trust and Sport England. The School Games will capitalise on the run up to and the legacy of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It will create the opportunity for every school and every child to participate in competitive sport. It will also target the least active children who may previously not have been interested in competitive sport.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many (a) men and (b) women enrolled on apprenticeships in (i) information and communication technology, (ii) engineering and manufacturing technologies and (iii) construction, planning and the built environment in (A) England, (B) the West Midlands and (C) Walsall South constituency in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many (a) men and (b) women enrolled on apprenticeships in (i) England, (ii) the West Midlands and (iii) Walsall South constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

John Hayes: holding answer 10 November 2011
	Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship starts by gender in information and communication technology, engineering and manufacturing technologies, and construction, planning and the built environment and all sector subject areas in England, the West Midlands and Walsall South parliamentary constituency, in the 2009/10 academic year, the latest year for which final data is available.
	
		
			 Table 1: Apprenticeship starts by gender and sector subject area in Walsall South parliamentary constituency, the West Midlands and England, 2009/10 
			   Information and communication technology Engineering and manufacturing technologies Construction, planning and the built environment All apprenticeships 
			 Walsall South Female 10 (1)— (1)— 330 
			  Male 20 50 30 260 
			  Total 30 50 30 590 
			       
			 West Midlands Female 250 100 30 16,930 
			  Male 1,060 3,300 2,310 14,790 
			  Total 1,300 3,400 2,340 31,720 
			       
			 England Female 2,370 1,510 390 138,640 
			  Male 10,200 36,350 24,820 141,030 
			  Total 12,570 37,860 25,210 279,680 
			 (1) Indicates a base value of less than five. Notes: 1. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Total figures may not add up due to rounding. 2. Geography information is based upon the home postcode of the learner. Source: Individualised Learner Record. 
		
	
	Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 October 2011, available at:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
	Information on apprenticeship starts by geographic breakdown, gender and sector subject areas are available in the SFR supplementary tables, available at:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statistical firstrelease/sfr_supplementary_tables/Apprenticeship_sfr_ supplementary_tables/

Biology: Graduates

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of first degree biological sciences graduates were in graduate-level employment or graduate-level training one year after graduating in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

David Willetts: holding answer 7 November 2011
	Information on the proportion of first degree biological sciences graduates who were in graduate-level employment or graduate-level training one year after graduating is not available. The numbers and proportions of UK-domiciled first degree graduates who were in graduate-level employment or graduate-level further study six months after qualifying are shown in the following table for the academic years 2005/06 to 2009/10 as an alternative. Information for the 2010/11 academic year will become available from June 2012.
	
		
			 UK-domiciled first degree biological sciences graduates (1)  in graduate-level employment (2)  or graduate-level further study (3)  six months after qualifying. UK higher education institutions, academic years 2005/06 to 2009/10 
			  Number in employment or further study   
			 Academic year Graduate-level Non graduate-level Total in employment or further study Proportion graduate-level (%) 
			 2005/06 10,700 6,665 17,365 61.6 
			 2006/07 11,655 6,530 18,180 64.1 
			 2007/08 12,075 6,830 18,905 63.9 
			 2008/09 11,930 7,065 18,995 62.8 
			 2009/10 12,200 7,630 19,825 61.5 
			 (1) Covers graduates from full-time and part-time courses. (2) Covers graduate-level Standard Occupational Classifications and full-time, part-time and voluntary employment. (3) Covers taught and research based higher degrees, postgraduate certificates or diplomas and first degrees. Note: Figures in this table are rounded up or down to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals. Percentages are based on unrounded figures and are given to one decimal place. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency: Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education

Chief Scientific Adviser

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to fill the position of chief scientific adviser in his Department.

David Willetts: We are currently at an advanced stage of a recruitment campaign to fill the position of chief scientific adviser and expect to announce the name of the successful candidate before the end of the year.

Departmental Data Protection

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2011, Official Report, column 104W, on departmental data protection, if he will name the (a) Minister and (b) bookkeeper who was provided with the Minister’s diary.

Edward Davey: It would not be fair to the individual or lawful under the Data Protection Act to release the name of the bookkeeper of the Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my noble Friend Baroness Wilcox.

Departmental Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many contracts his Department has awarded directly to third sector organisations in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: Information on the Department’s procurement spend level with third sector organisations in each month since May 2010 will be available in December and will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
	Further information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many contracts his Department has awarded directly to (a) small, (b) medium-sized and (c) large businesses in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: Information on the Department’s procurement spend level with small businesses, medium-sized and large businesses since May 2010 will be available in December and will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
	Further information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Secondary Legislation

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) statutory instruments, (b) ministerial orders and (c) other pieces of secondary legislation were issued by his Department in (i) 1990, (ii) 1995, (iii) each year since 1999 and (iv) 2011 to date.

Edward Davey: Records for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (and the previous Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Department of Trade and Industry) indicate that the following numbers of statutory instruments, including Regulatory Reform Orders and a few local orders, were issued in the following calendar year:
	
		
			  Total 
			 1990 144 
			 1995 112 
			 1999 176 
			 2000 146 
			 2001 126 
			 2002 128 
			 2003 152 
			 2004 135 
			 2005 128 
			 2006 119 
			 2007 115 
			 2008 125 
			 2009 128 
			 2010 92 
			 2011 (to date) 69 
		
	
	The following Legislative Reform Orders were issued by the Department (and the then Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills) by parliamentary session.
	
		
			  Number 
			 2007-08 (1)2 
			 2008-09 (2)4 
			 2009-10 0 
			 2010-11 0 
			 (1) Verification of Weighing and Measurement Order 2008 Consumer Credit Order 2008 (2) Insolvency (Miscellaneous Provision) Order 2009 Insolvency (Miscellaneous Provision) Order 2009 Limited Partnerships Order 2009 Insolvency (Advertising Requirements) Order 2009 
		
	
	The figures have been drawn from the Department's database and written records, which, as with any recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Departmental Secondment

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 8 November 2011, Official Report, columns 301-02W, on departmental secondment, who the senior representatives of the business sector seconded to his Department were; from which companies they were seconded; what payments were made by his Department to those companies in connection with the secondments; to which areas of departmental business activity each secondment related; and what steps his Department has taken to ensure that expertise brought by each secondee is retained by his Department following the end of the period of the secondment.

Edward Davey: I have asked for this information to be compiled and will write to the hon. Member shortly with the detail. A copy of my reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Written Questions

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether draft answers to parliamentary questions prepared by officials in his Department are cleared by special advisers (a) before and (b) after the relevant Minister.

Edward Davey: Ministers approve answers to parliamentary questions and they are accountable to Parliament for their answers.

Devolution: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what Barnett consequentials were paid to the Welsh Government as a result of the Regional Growth Fund in each of the three years since the fund was established.

Danny Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
	The 2010 spending review settlements for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills included provision for the Regional Growth Fund. The devolved Administrations received Barnett consequentials on the changes to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skill's budget although the amount for the Regional Growth Fund was not separately identified.

Environment Protection

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the likely (a) turnover, (b) level of employment and (c) level of exports attributable to the low-carbon and environmental goods and services sector in each year to 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: HM Government have made no estimates of the projected turnover, employment level or export level in the low carbon and environmental goods and services sector.
	However, independent research commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills estimated the turnover, exports, number of jobs and forecast growth of the low carbon and environmental goods and services sector. Estimates include activity across the supply chain. The most recent data report on the 2009-10 financial year. The following tables provide 2009-10 turnover, employment and export estimates and growth forecasts until 2015-16.
	
		
			 UK LCEGS 
			  Total sales (£ million) 
			 2007-08 107,343 
			 2008-09 112,004 
			 2009-10 116,780 
		
	
	
		
			 UK LCEGS 
			  Total employment 
			 2007-08 908,107 
			 2008-09 909,782 
			 2009-10 914,273 
		
	
	
		
			 UK LCEGS 
			  Exports (£ million) 
			 2007-08 10,454 
			 2008-09 10,904 
			 2009-10 11,326 
		
	
	
		
			 UK LCEGS 
			  Growth estimates (1)  (%) 
			 2010-11 4.8 
			 2011-12 5 
			 2012-13 5.1 
			 2013-14 5.3 
			 2014-15 5.4 
			 2015-16 5.6 
			 (1 )Growth forecasts provided are based on aggregated forecasts for turnover. Source: K-Matrix 2011.

Export Credits Guarantees: Libya

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for which projects concerning Libya the Export Credits Guarantee Department extended cover from January 2004 to date; what the maximum exposure was in each such case; and whether there is any extant cover.

Edward Davey: The Export Credits Guarantee Department has not supported any export contracts to Libya from January 2004 to date.

Higher Education: Admissions

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many UCAS applications have been submitted by residents of (a) Wallasey constituency, (b) the Wirral, (c) the North West region and (d) England in (i) the current academic year and (ii) each of the last five academic years.

David Willetts: The latest information is in the following table and has been provided by the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS).
	
		
			 Applicants to UCAS by parliamentary constituency/region 
			  Year of entry 
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 (2) 
			 Wallasey constituency(1) 632 674 751 841 889 903 
			 The Wirral 2,439 2,576 2,862 3,099 3,263 3,287 
			 The North West 49,125 51,954 58,299 64,644 68,965 68,721 
			 England 358,067 380,077 424,596 461,421 495,884 497,710 
			 (1) Parliamentary constituency has been identified using the home postcode regardless of the declared area of permanent residence. (2) Since final data for the 2010-11 admission cycle (for entry into the 2011-12 academic year) have not yet been published, data reported in the above table reflect UCAS data taken 55 days (ie 12 October 2011) following the publication of A-level results on 18 August 2011. Final end of cycle data will be available in mid December.

Higher Education: Ethnic Groups

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people from black and minority ethnic groups in Birmingham, Ladywood constituency applied to university for entry in (a) 2011-12 and (b) each of the previous five academic years.

David Willetts: The latest information is shown in the following table, and has been provided by the Universities and Admissions Service (UCAS).
	
		
			 Applicants domiciled in Birmingham Ladywood (1)  constituency by ethnicity (2) 
			  Year of entry 
			 Ethnic background 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 (3) 
			 Black, Asian, Mixed and other ethnic backgrounds 808 892 982 1,107 1,281 1,252 
			 White 96 100 101 146 175 137 
			 Unknown 258 232 315 323 202 189 
			 Total 1,162 1,224 1,398 1,576 1,658 1,578 
			 (1) Birmingham Ladywood constituency has been identified using the home postcode regardless of declared area of permanent residence. (2) While completion of the ethnic origin field is mandatory for those with a declared area of permanent residence in the UK, applicants can indicate that they prefer not to say what their ethnic origin is. Data on the ethnic origin of applicants is not passed to institutions until after the selection process. Where the ethnic origin has not been detailed in this analysis, this is recorded as “Unknown”. (3) Since the 2010-11 admission cycle (for entry into the 2011-12 academic cycle) has not yet closed, data reported in the table reflect UCAS data taken 55 days (i.e. 12 October 2011) following the publication of A level results on 18 August 2011 (formerly referred to as “provisional end of cycle data”). Final end of cycle data will be available in mid December.

Higher Education: Finance

Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the policy priorities set out in his 2010 grant letter to the Higher Education Funding Council for England, whether he plans to include in his 2011 letter a provision that the top policy priorities for targeted funding should be supporting widening participation and fair access.

David Willetts: The Higher Education White Paper, “Students at the Heart of the System” published in June this year, sets out clearly the importance the Government place on widening participation and improving fair access to higher education. We have been clear that all those with the ability should have access to higher education irrespective of their background or family income. Following the publication of the White Paper BIS Ministers wrote to Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) setting out priorities for funding which include the additional costs associated with attracting and retaining students from non-traditional backgrounds, and disabled students.
	Government will signal their priorities for 2012/13 funding to HEFCE in the grant letter that will be issued at the turn of the year.

Higher Education: Private Sector

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 5 September 2011, Official Report, column 330W, on higher education: private sector, if he will seek meetings with people who have (a) taught for and (b) studied with the for-profit higher education providers that he has met; and if he will seek meetings with their parent companies.

David Willetts: I am always happy to meet and speak with students and lecturers of higher education providers when the opportunity arises, for example on my visits to campus sites or lately through internet web chats.
	I also meet regularly with providers of higher education including for-profit institutions. In that context, I am happy to meet with the parent companies of such providers.

HM Revenue and Customs

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with (a) HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officials and (b) trade union representatives on the possible relocation of the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate from his Department to the national minimum wage enforcement team in HMRC.

Edward Davey: I have had no discussions with HM Revenue and Customs officials or trade union representatives on this matter.

Lip-reading

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to reclassify lip-reading as an essential skill for the purposes of skills funding.

John Hayes: “Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth” (November, 2010) recognises the importance of access to further education and skills training for people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Where lip-reading skills may be needed to help deaf people get into work then these would be funded through the single adult skills budget.
	Where people choose to learn lip reading for general interest purposes, a college or training provider may ask the individual to contribute fully or partially towards the cost.
	In recent discussions with “Action for Hearing Loss” it was agreed that there are different “categories” of need for lip-reading skills and BIS officials are exploring with Action for Hearing Loss where skills funding can be used appropriately for lip reading provision.

Office for Life Sciences

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many times he has met the Secretary of State for Health to discuss the Office for Life Sciences in the last 12 months.

David Willetts: Ministers and officials in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Department of Health (DH) work closely and collaboratively to improve the UK business environment for life sciences companies. The Office for Life Sciences (OLS), based in the Department, is the principal vehicle for driving that work forward and is a routine part of these discussions.

Overseas Trade: Advisory Services

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the proposal contained in the British Chambers of Commerce's Autumn Statement letter to the Government that the Overseas Market Introduction Service should be restructured to a variable rate system depending on business size.

Mark Prisk: UK Trade and Investment's (UKTI) pricing structure and strategy is under constant review. The last full refresh of policy was in April 2011. The Overseas Market Introduction Service (OMIS) charging structure is based on firms paying for services used, irrespective of company size, providing support for all firms but with additional assistance for target groups. To ensure support is targeted, UKTI offers grants and subsidies to small and medium-sized enterprises where it can make the most difference, such as encouraging new exporters or exporters to the high growth markets.

Research: Expenditure

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2011, Official Report, column 757W, on research: expenditure, how much of the reduction in research and development expenditure he estimates is a consequence of a reduction in capital expenditure by the Government; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The Department has not conducted any specific analysis of the impact of changing levels of Government capital expenditure on levels of business enterprise research and development (BERD).
	Research and development (R and D) expenditure is pro-cyclical and therefore is expected to rise and fall in line with the economy. Although 2009 BERD levels were lower than the previous year, by 4.1% in real terms, this was matched by a larger drop in GDP over the same time period, meaning that BERD as a percentage of GDP increased slightly, from 1.10% to 1.12%.
	When considering the sources of funds for R and D performed in UK businesses, the contribution from UK Government increased between 2008 and 2009, both in absolute and percentage terms. This is in contrast to reductions in funding from businesses' own funds, from other UK businesses and from overseas funding.
	The Office for National Statistics will publish 2010 BERD data on 9 November 2011.

Research: Expenditure

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2011, Official Report, column 757W, on research: expenditure, what steps he is taking to reverse the reduction in research and development expenditure in real terms; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The Department is developing an innovation and research strategy to set out how this Government will support innovation and research in the UK and leverage significant public investment to drive sustainable growth and we intend to publish this later this year.
	The Government are, though, already playing a role in maintaining research and development (R and D) expenditure with the protection of the science and research budget at £4.6 billion over the period of the comprehensive spending review. This investment is to secure the UK's leading position as the most productive research base in the G8 and as a global leader in research excellence, second only to the USA in the world. Universities are playing a role themselves, having leveraged £3.09 billion in external income in 2010, 4% more than in the previous year. We have seen a transformation in the engagement of UK universities with business and the UK has the highest number of spin-outs from universities in Europe—in 2010, 273 official spin-outs were established by UK universities. All of this makes the UK one of the world's leading locations for commercial and academic R&D and we have the fourth highest concentration of the world's top 1,400 international companies for R&D expenditure, including companies such as Rolls-Royce, Ford, Pfizer, Airbus, Eli Lilly, Eisai, Nokia, Syngenta, Merck and Motorola. And the UK is Europe's most successful country in attracting research-driven inward investment.
	We are also working to reverse the reduction in research and development expenditure through a range of measures including the work of partner bodies such as the Technology Strategy Board, which is the Government's prime channel through which we support business-led technology innovation.
	The Technology Strategy Board is establishing a network of elite technology and innovation centres to commercialise new and emerging technologies—the High Value Manufacturing Technology and Innovation Centre has been launched and others in the areas of cell therapy and offshore renewable energy are in development. The Technology Strategy Board also delivers national collaborative R and D and grant for R and D schemes, which are focused on supporting research and development projects in businesses, and the Small Business Research Initiative, which aims to provide business opportunities for innovative companies while solving the needs of Government Departments.
	The Department is also working closely with HM Treasury to improve the climate in this area through improvements to the R and D tax credits scheme, as well as other ongoing activities, such as the implementation of a Patent Box. R and D tax credits are currently being reviewed to make them more efficient and effective. As part of this process, Budget 2011 announced significant increases in the rate of relief for the Small and Medium (SME) scheme. The rate is among the most competitive in the world, increasing in April 2011 from 175% to 200% of qualifying R and D expenditure and rising again to 225% from April 2012.
	R and D tax credits are already the largest single Government support for business R and D, with claims recorded so far for FY 2009/10 for the Large and SME schemes reaching £1.02 billion, supporting R and D investment by business totalling £10.14 billion. Further take-up is anticipated following improvements to the schemes.
	The Government have also been working with industry to work up details for the introduction of the Patent Box. This will allow companies to apply a 10% reduced rate of corporation tax on profits attributed to patents—providing an incentive for companies in the UK to retain existing patents and develop new innovative patented products. It will apply from 2013.

Students: Finance

Sam Gyimah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what effect requiring higher paid graduates to continue payments to the Student Loans Company for two years after they have paid off their loan would have on the way student loans are classified in the national accounts.

David Willetts: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) applies European System of Accounts (ESA) rules when classifying transactions for national accounts. Each transaction or set of transactions brought to ONS for an independent decision is considered on a case-by-case basis, and we cannot be clear as to how ONS may rule in this particular scenario.
	Any changes that erased the link between the amount paid for tuition and the amount eligible to be paid back after study could lead to the loan scheme being formally reassigned as a graduate tax.
	However, it is not the Government's intention that higher paid graduates should be required to continue making payments to the Student Loans Company after paying off their loans.

Students: Loans

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse arising from unpaid student loans due to individuals (a) emigrating and (b) who are not active within the workforce.

David Willetts: We currently estimate that the resource accounting and budgeting charge for student loans—representing the cost of both write-offs and interest subsidies—will be around 30% of the face value of loans issued.
	This estimate allows for delays in repayments for borrowers who emigrate and includes the costs of those who are not active in the work force (either temporarily or permanently) but it is not possible to provide specific estimates for those factors in isolation.

Students: Sponsorship

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) businesses and (b) other organisations he expects to sponsor university places outside the quota system in the academic year (i) 2013-14 and (ii) 2014-15.

David Willetts: It is not possible to predict how many university places will be sponsored by businesses and other organisations for those years. This Department consulted through the Higher Education White Paper, on how we might find ways in future years of expanding opportunities for employers and charities to offer sponsorship for individual places outside of student number controls. A response will be published in due course.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Bell Pottinger Group

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) political advisers in his Department have met representatives of (i) Bell Pottinger Group or (ii) each of its subsidiaries in the last five years; on what dates any such meetings took place; and what was discussed.

Andrew Mitchell: Details of all Ministers' external meetings are published every quarter in the normal way and are available on the DFID website:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-DFID/Our-organisation1/Ministers/
	Information for other officials' meetings is not held centrally.

Burma: Overseas Aid

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will increase funding provided by his Department for assistance to refugees and internally displaced peoples along the Thailand-Burma border.

Andrew Mitchell: Britain is in the process of reviewing its last three years' assistance to refugees and internally displaced people (IDP) along the Thailand-Burma border. This will include a full review of results achieved so far, how effective we have been at meeting programme objectives and whether the UK's aid is providing good value for money. The review will help inform the Department for International Development's (DFID) future programme of support for IDPs and refugees along the Thailand-Burma border and decisions on funding. DFID remains fully committed to providing humanitarian aid to Burmese refugees in Thailand and people affected by conflict in eastern Burma.

Burma: Overseas Aid

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the level of (a) need and (b) funding for assistance to refugees and internally displaced peoples on the Thailand-Burma border.

Andrew Mitchell: Britain is in the process of reviewing its assistance to refugees and internally displaced people (IDP) along the Thailand-Burma border, and as part of this review will consider the needs and how to approach Britain's future programme of support, including funding levels. Officials are in regular contact with other donors, international organisations and NGOs to monitor the situation in the border area and the impact on people.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Overseas Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of his Department’s aid budget was allocated to the Democratic Republic of Congo in each of the last 10 years.

Andrew Mitchell: The proportion of the Department for International Development’s (DFID) bilateral expenditure spent on the Democratic Republic of Congo in each of the last 10 years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2001-02 6 
			 2002-03 13 
			 2003-04 17 
			 2004-05 29 
			 2005-06 59 
			 2006-07 75 
		
	
	
		
			 2007-08 83 
			 2008-09 94 
			 2009-10 109 
			 2010-11 133 
		
	
	A breakdown of DFID’s expenditure by country are in the “Statistics on International Development” publication. This can be found at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-us/How-we-measure-progress/Aid-Statistics/

Design Services

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contracts his Department has awarded for design services since May 2010; and what information his Department holds on the location of such companies.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) has, since May 2010, awarded the following contracts for design (and production) services, each under competitive tender and/or pre-existing government framework:
	
		
			 Project Contractor Location of company 
			 Annual Report and Accounts 2010 Stairway, The Domarn Group London 
			 Templates to allow in-house publication typesetting Communisis Leeds 
			 Climate Change Fast Start information pack COI London 
			 Multilateral Aid Review Report Tempo London 
			 Humanitarian and Emergency Response Review Report Tempo London 
			 Complex graphics for Private Sector Approach paper (includes typesetting) COI London 
			 Annual Report and Accounts 2011 Stairway, The Domarn Group London 
			 Circular display boards showing results commitments made in DFID's aid reviews Tempo London 
		
	
	It is not possible to provide the information requested for our offices overseas without incurring disproportionate cost.

Design Services

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on design in respect of (a) logos, (b) buildings, (c) advertising, (d) stationery and (e) campaigns in the last year for which figures are available.

Alan Duncan: In the year to 31 October 2011, The Department for International Development (DFID) has spent nothing on design in respect of (a) logos, (b) buildings, (c) advertising, and (d) stationery.
	On (e) campaigns, DFID has spent £930, connected with the announcement of our bilateral and multilateral aid reviews.
	It is not possible to provide the information requested for our offices overseas without incurring disproportionate cost.

Parliamentary Questions

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether draft answers to parliamentary questions prepared by officials in his Department are cleared by special advisers (a) before and (b) after the relevant Minister.

Andrew Mitchell: All parliamentary questions are the responsibility of DFID Ministers and the clearance processes reflect this.

Written Questions

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many parliamentary questions for written answer on a named day by his Department were answered (a) on time, (b) five days late, (c) 10 days late, (d) 20 days late and (e) over 30 days late in each month since May 2010.

Andrew Mitchell: I have placed in the Library a table documenting my Department's PQ performance since May 2010.
	The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis and will provide full information to the committee at the end of the session. Statistics relating to Government Departments' performance for the 2009-10 parliamentary session were previously provided to the committee and are available on the Parliament website.

Developing Countries: Disease Control

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when his Department will make public its (a) current and (b) future strategies on funding for research and development into prevention, treatment and diagnostics for diseases connected with poverty, including (i) HIV/AIDS, (ii) tuberculosis and (iii) malaria; how he intends to publish it; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Alan Duncan: The UK Government’s current priorities for research include research into the development of new technologies for prevention, treatment and diagnostics for diseases of poverty including HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. We anticipate that there will be an open competition for future funding in these areas held during 2012. Details will be posted on the DFID website at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk

Developing Countries: Family Planning

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answers of 6 July 2011, Official Report, columns 1264-65W, and 17 October 2011, Official Report, column 578W, on developing countries: family planning, what proportion of the sums allocated (a) to the United Nations Population Fund in the next two years, (b) to International Planned Parenthood in the next two years and (c) to Marie Stopes International in the next three years is to be spent on sterilisation and abortion; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), IPPF (International Planned Parenthood Federation) and MSI (Marie Stopes International) all receive core funding from the Department for International Development. All of DFID's funding must be used in a manner that is consistent with DFID policy.
	This support is used to cover administration costs as well as investing in specific programmes and projects at country level that improve maternal and reproductive health. Guidance on how these funds are spent is contained in a memorandum of understanding between DFID and UNFPA.
	Information about the funding that DFID provides to IPPF and MSI is available in the Library of the House. DFID's support to IPPF and MSI can be used flexibly by both organisations, as long as they are able to meet the objectives and measurable performance indicators that have been agreed by DFID. DFID does not ask for disaggregated expenditure figures for each organisation.
	The UK is committed to improving women's health and reducing the number of women dying from pregnancy and childbirth. DFID's support to these organisations saves women's and girl's lives as well as preventing injury and illness through improving access to family planning and reducing recourse to unsafe abortion.
	Effective family planning is about a service and approach that gives people choice over their future and provides safe, secure services where they are needed. One aspect of this entails expanding the choice of family planning methods available to people, including short and long-term reversible contraceptives and, for those who have completed their families, the option of voluntary male or female sterilisation. DFID is clear that where women have no other choice than to have an abortion, this should take place in a safe environment instead of back street operations which cost 47,000 lives every year.

Israel: Agriculture

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has had discussions with his Israeli counterpart on international co-operation in agricultural technology for farming in arid conditions.

Andrew Mitchell: I have not had any discussions with my Israeli counterpart on international co-operation in agriculture technology relating to farming in arid conditions.
	The UK currently has no direct co-operation with Israel on international development. Israel became a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in August 2010 and we hope that Israel will consider joining the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC).

South Sudan: Overseas Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid the UK has committed to South Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) programme allocation for assistance to the Republic of South Sudan over the current comprehensive spending review (CSR) cycle is £376.6 million. The annual trajectory is as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2011-12 90.6 
			 2012-13 91 
			 2013-14 96 
			 2014-15 99 
		
	
	The programme has also been allocated £2.6 million this financial year from the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool (ACPP) which is co-managed between DFID, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence.
	DFID’s Operational Plan for the Republic of South Sudan, which was published shortly after Independence, lists a number of targets aligned to the Republic of South Sudan Government’s national Development Plan. These include the following projected results by 31 March 2015:
	240,000 more children to complete primary school
	750,000 people to be treated for or prevented from getting malaria
	4 million people to receive life-saving health care and nutrition
	The printing and distribution of 12 million textbooks to almost 2 million children
	Increased private sector investment and trade by reducing cross-border transport costs by up to 15%.

Yemen

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he (a) has taken and (b) is planning to take to implement the priorities for his Department set out in the Building Stability Overseas Strategy in Yemen.

Alan Duncan: The principles of the Building Stability Overseas Strategy underpin the British Government's response to Yemen's manifold challenges. The three lead Departments, the Department for International Development, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence, have for some time worked closely together to deliver an integrated and coherent cross-Government approach. Our strategy has focused on working to degrade al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to the point where they no longer pose a strategic threat, and halting Yemen's decline into state failure by reducing conflict and grievances and increasing the capacity of the state.
	The Government are gravely concerned with the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yemen. Through the Department for International Development (DFiD), and supported by diplomatic efforts in Sana'a, the UK Government are providing £15.4 million in humanitarian support in 2011-12 to meet immediate humanitarian needs in accordance with our strategy. DFID is also continuing to deliver development assistance to Yemen to support poor and vulnerable Yemenis, principally through ongoing support to the delivery of essential basic services such as health, education and water.

TREASURY

Child Care Vouchers

Damian Collins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the cost to the public purse was of the child care voucher scheme in the last 12 months for which figures are available;
	(2)  how much he expects to disburse under the child care voucher scheme to claimants (a) earning less than the salary at which the higher rate of income tax applies, (b) paying the higher rate of income tax but not the additional rate and (c) paying the additional rate of income tax in 2011-12.

David Gauke: holding answer 8 November 2011
	Income tax and NICs forgone on employer-supported child care provided through vouchers are estimated to cost the Exchequer £550 million in 2011-12.
	The amounts of income tax and NICs (including employer NICs) forgone in 2011-12 for employees in different rate bands in respect of child care vouchers are estimated as follows:
	
		
			 £ million 
			 Taxpayer band Relief for employee (tax and NICs) Relief for employer (NICs) Total 
			 Basic rate 205 90 295 
			 Higher rate 180 60 240 
			 Additional rate 15 5 15

Child Tax Credit

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families are in receipt of the family element of the child tax credit in (a) England, (b) the south east and (c) Dartford constituency.

David Gauke: The requested information can be found in the latest HMRC publication “Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics: Geographical analyses—April 2011”, available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-apr11.pdf
	Data for England, the south east and Dartford constituency are provided in the following table:
	
		
			 Number of families benefiting from child tax credit family element April 2011 
			  Thousand 
			 England 4,820.2 
			 South-east 676.0 
			 Dartford 9.2

Child Tax Credit

Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families received child tax credits in (a) Wallasey constituency, (b) the Wirral, (c) the north-west, (d) England and (e) the UK in (i) 2011-12 and (ii) each of the last five years.

David Gauke: This information is available in HMRC’s publications “Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics Finalised annual awards. Geographical analyses” available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/final-award-geog.htm
	The latest year for which data are available is 2009-10. Information for 2010-11 will be available in May 2012.

Duchy of Cornwall

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department classifies the activities of the Duchy of Cornwall as (a) those of a private estate, (b) those of a public authority, (c) those of a public body, (d) part of the Crown or (e) in another fashion.

Chloe Smith: The independent Office for National Statistics classifies entities for national accounts purposes.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

Clive Betts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent progress has been made on payments under the Government's compensation scheme to Equitable Life policy holders living in Sheffield.

Mark Hoban: Payments began on the 30 June 2011, and the scheme will publish a progress report in due course. The scheme does not hold a breakdown of payments made by region, town or constituency.

Equitable Life Assurance Society: Compensation

David Davis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many offer letters were sent by the Equitable Life Payment Scheme in each month during the operation of the scheme.

Sam Gyimah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he has made on payments to Equitable Life policyholders; and what proportion of payments he expects to be made by the end of 2011.

Mark Hoban: The scheme will be publishing a report in due course on the volumes and values of payments made.

European Union

Douglas Alexander: To ask the. Chancellor of the Exchequer how many ministerial-level meetings have been held in his Department as part of the Government’s examination of the balance of existing EU competences.

Mark Hoban: Treasury Ministers have meetings on a wide variety of issues as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Financial Services: Complaints

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many complaints were made to the Financial Ombudsman Service in relation to life insurance policies in each year between 1997 and 2005; and how many were resolved (a) at the assessment stage, (b) after investigation by an adjudicator and (c) by final decision of an ombudsman in each case;
	(2)  how many cases were received by the Financial Ombudsman Service in relation to the sale of (a) critical illness insurance, (b) payment protection insurance, (c) term life assurance and (d) income protection in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many cases were received by the Financial Ombudsman Service in each of the last five years; and how many were resolved in each year;
	(4)  how many endowment mortgage complaints were upheld by the Financial Ombudsman Service and rejected by insurance companies in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mark Hoban: The matters raised are for the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), whose day-to-day operations are independent from government control and influence. The questions have been passed on to the FOS, which will reply to the hon. Member directly by letter. A copy of the response will be placed in the Library of the House.

Industry: Production

Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the most recent industrial production figures published by the Office for National Statistics; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the levels of industrial production for (a) future economic growth and (b) employment levels.

Chloe Smith: The Office for National Statistics published the latest Index of Production release, covering the third quarter of 2011, on 8 November 2011. This release showed industrial production to have grown by 0.4% in the third quarter and manufacturing output by 0.2%. Manufacturing output is now 7.7% above its low in the third quarter of 2009.
	HM Treasury uses a wide range of indicators to assess progress against its economic policy objective of achieving strong, sustainable and balanced growth that is more evenly shared across the country and between industries, of which the Index of Production is one. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the Office for Budget Responsibility will be publishing its Economic and Fiscal Outlook alongside his autumn statement on 29 November. This will include a forecast for future economic growth and employment.

Interest Rates

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to altering the 5% surcharge rate introduced by the Finance Act 1970 due to current rates of interest.

David Gauke: I am replying on the basis that the 5% surcharge in question is that provided by Section 59C Taxes Management Act 1970 (Surcharges on unpaid income tax and capital gains tax).
	Following public consultation, these surcharges were replaced by a new penalty regime for failure to make payments of tax on time in schedule 56 of Finance Act 2009. The new regime came into effect on 6 April 2011 for payments of income tax and capital gains tax.

International Monetary Fund

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what contributions were made to the International Monetary Fund in each year from 1997 to 2011.

Mark Hoban: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) publishes a summary of all members' financial position with the IMF, including contributions to IMF lending resource. The data cover the period 1997 to 2011 on a monthly basis.
	This can be found on its website:
	www.imf.org/external/np/fin/tad/exfin2.aspx?memberkey1 =1010&date1key=2011-07-31

Mobile Phones: Aerials

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will allocate part of the recently announced £150 million funding for infrastructure projects to improving mobile phone coverage.

Edward Vaizey: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government recently announced that they were providing an additional £150 million to improve mobile phone coverage in the UK. The principal consideration when considering the optimal use of the £150 million for mobile masts will be to fill in not-spots in the national 2G mobile coverage and raise the coverage level to 99% and we will be working with Ofcom and other stakeholders to determine where best to site these new masts.
	No decisions on locating masts have yet been made. In making those decisions, consideration will be given to the requirements of hosting other technologies such as 3G to improve the coverage of that technology too. Looking further in the future we envisage that 4G could be hosted on the new structures as well.

PAYE

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the proportion of small businesses using payroll software from providers with whom he is discussing upgrading their products for real-time PAYE.

David Gauke: Based on 2010 employers' end of year returns, approximately 1 million small employers, or their agents, are using commercial payroll software. A further half a million small employers' returns were submitted using HMRC's free PAYE products.
	The majority of small employers will begin submitting real time information in April 2013. HMRC has been liaising with all payroll software developers registered with HMRC's Software Developers' Support Team since autumn 2010 to ensure that they develop their payroll software products in time for this.
	Employers with nine employees or fewer will be able to download HMRC's free ‘Basic PAYE Tools' to calculate PAYE deductions and send real time information.

Pensions: Misrepresentation

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will take steps to assist individuals who have been mis-sold mortgage endowment policies to achieve legal redress for their losses;
	(2)  whether his Department has investigated the role played by the Financial Services Authority in the regulation of the sale of endowment mortgages;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the advice the Financial Services Authority offers those wanting to pursue a claim for the mis-selling of endowment mortgages.

Mark Hoban: All investments, including endowment policies, carry financial risk. The Government cannot legislate to ensure good investment performance. Where a shortfall on an endowment mortgage is now expected, this does not in itself mean that the firm that sold the endowment mortgage was at fault at the time of the sale. However, Financial Services Authority (FSA) rules do require firms to explain the risks associated with investment products when these products are sold.
	If a borrower feels the risks were not explained properly to them, in the first instance they should complain to the company through which they bought the product. If a borrower is not satisfied with the firm's response, they may consider referring the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The FOS offers a dispute resolution service for problems relating to financial products. It is free for consumers and, while its decisions are binding on firms, it does not interfere with consumers' rights to take action through the courts.
	Although the Treasury sets the legal framework for the regulation of financial services, it does not have investigative or prosecuting powers of its own and is not able to intervene in individual cases.

Pensions: Misrepresentation

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of people who have experienced a shortfall in their endowment policies sold by solicitors in Scotland since the implementation of the provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

Mark Hoban: This is a matter for the Financial Services Authority (FSA), whose day-to-day operations are independent from government control and influence. I understand from the FSA that the information requested is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Public Sector: Pensions

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate expenditure on public sector pensions if no changes were introduced in each year from 2010-11 to 2015-16.

Danny Alexander: The following table shows the estimated net expenditure on public service pensions from 2010-11 to 2015-16, with and without the announced policy changes to uprating and employee pension contributions. Net expenditure on public service pensions measures benefits paid, less employer and employee contributions received.
	
		
			 Net expenditure on public sector pension schemes 
			 £ billion 
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 
			 OBR Forecast 5.8 7.0 7.8 8.0 8.7 9.7 
			 includes savings from:       
			 Uprating by CPI 0.0 0.4 0.6 1.0 1.4 2.0 
			 Contribution increases 0.0 0.0 1.2 2.3 2.8 2.9 
			 Forecast, excluding policy changes 5.8 7.4 9.6 11.2 12.9 14.6 
			 Notes: 1. The table includes central Government pay-as-you go public service pension schemes and locally administered police and fire-fighters' pension schemes, but excludes the funded Local Government Pension Scheme which does not affect net expenditure. 2. OBR forecast is taken from Table 4.1 5 of the Office for Budget Responsibility's Economic and Fiscal Outlook, March 2011. 3. Savings from uprating by CPI are calculated by HM Treasury and relate to the decision to use the consumer prices index (CPI) as the Government's preferred measure for benefit and pension uprating. 4. Savings from contribution increases are taken from HM Treasury's spending review 2010 policy costings note.

Public Sector: Pensions

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential effects of planned changes to public sector pensions on part-time workers earning less than £15,000 per annum.

Danny Alexander: holding answer 10 November 2011
	In “Public Service Pensions: good pensions that last”, published on 2 November, the Government set out their intention that
	“most low and middle earners working a full career will receive pension benefits at least as good, if not better than they get now”.
	To protect those on the lowest incomes from increases to member pension contributions, the Government set out a commitment that those earning less than £15,000 (full-time equivalent) will see no increase in their member contributions, and those earning less than £21,000 (full-time equivalent) will see an increase of no more than 0.6 percentage points in 2012-13 (and no more than 1.5 percentage points in total).
	As agreed with the trade unions, the Government will ensure that there is a full equality impact assessment before changes to public service pensions are implemented.

Stamp Duty Land Tax: Public Houses

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to review the level of stamp duty payable on (a) new leases and (b) renewal of leases for public houses.

Chloe Smith: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer keeps all taxes, including stamp duty land tax, under review at the Budget.

Taxation: Environment Protection

Esther McVey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the possible effect on (a) electricity intensive businesses and (b) corporation tax revenue of an increase in the carbon floor price.

Chloe Smith: An assessment of the impacts of the carbon price floor is given in HMRC's Tax Information and Impact Note published alongside the Budget. This is available online at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2011/tiin6111.pdf
	By the end of the year the Government will set out a package of measures to assist those energy intensive businesses whose international competitiveness is most affected by energy and climate change policies in order to reduce the impact of Government policy on the cost of electricity for these businesses.

Taxation: Environment Protection

Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the proportion of taxation gathered from environmental taxes in (a) 2010-11 and (b) each financial year to April 2015.

Chloe Smith: The Government are currently finalising their definition of environmental taxes. Once this work concludes, a written statement will be placed in the House Library. This will establish a baseline against which the Government’s commitment to increase the proportion of revenue from environmental taxes can be measured.

Taxation: Football

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely cost to grassroots sports clubs of HM Revenue and Customs' decision to change the tax status of small-sided football leagues.

David Gauke: No estimate has been made. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs' view is that the provision of sports league services is liable to VAT at the standard rate. As a number of providers have been treating these supplies as exempt from VAT, HMRC issued further guidance in February 2011, confirming their view that the provision of sports league services is liable to VAT. There has been no change to the VAT status of sports clubs.

Unpaid Taxes

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will offer assistance to people affected by his decision to alter the time limit to reclaim the arrears payments of tax;
	(2)  whether HM Revenue and Customs will take into account any particular special circumstances of a claimant of tax arrears who has missed his four year deadline.

David Gauke: Finance Act 2008 introduced changes to these and other time limits. Under transitional provisions, for many taxpayers the new time limits will not come into effect until 1 April 2012.
	HMRC publicised the changes before they began to come into force and have provided advice and guidance for those affected.
	In general, HMRC will only accept claims for repayment of direct tax which are made within the statutory time limits. However, HMRC will repay direct tax in respect of claims made outside the statutory time limits where the over-payment has arisen because of an error by HMRC or another Government Department and where there is no dispute or doubt as to the facts.

Working Tax Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households will have a reduction in their entitlement as a result of his proposal to increase the hours requirement for working tax credit for couples with children; and what the average reduction will be for such households.

David Gauke: The measure to restrict eligibility to the working tax credit to 24 hours for couples with children is part of a range of reforms to the tax credits system announced at the spending review.
	Estimating the number of households impacted by an individual measure does not give a clear indication of the full monetary impact on an individual household.
	The Government published estimates of the distributional impact of the packages of announced tax and benefit measures which can be found at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/junebudget_annexa.pdf
	http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/sr2010_annexb.pdf

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Bahrain: Politics and Government

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Bahrain concerning sentences imposed on doctors and nurses who provided medical treatment for those involved in recent public disorder and unrest.

Alistair Burt: I was deeply concerned to hear of the sentencing of Bahraini medical personnel after the briefest of hearings in a Special Tribunal on 29 September 2011. The sentences appeared disproportionate to the charges brought against the individuals and undermined the Bahraini Government's attempts to move towards dialogue and reform. I spoke to the Bahraini ambassador in London on 30 September to reiterate this.
	I was therefore pleased by the Bahraini Attorney General's announcement the following week that the case would be retried in a civilian court. We continue to encourage the authorities to ensure due process is fairly and transparently followed in all cases.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Politics and Government

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board.

David Lidington: The Peace Implementation Council (PIC) Steering Board provides essential guidance and support to the High Representative in the exercise of his mandate under the Dayton Peace Agreement. It also performs regular assessments of Bosnia and Herzegovina's progress towards the completion of the ‘5+2' conditions agreed by the PIC for the Office of the High Representative's (OHR) closure. It continues to meet at ambassadorial level in Sarajevo every week, and formally at foreign ministry senior official level every four months. By bringing together the most important international supporters of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the PIC Steering Board plays a vital role in supporting the terms of the Peace Agreement.
	The British Government continues to support the work of the High Representative and to take an active role in the Steering Board. It considers completion of the conditions set by the PIC as the right indicators for when Bosnia and Herzegovina can function without the OHR. At its most recent meeting, on 6 July 2011, the Steering Board concluded that this conditionality had not been met and expressed its concern at the lack of progress made in this regard.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Politics and Government

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the potential for inter-ethnic conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

David Lidington: The security environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina remains broadly calm and stable. However, the political situation remains of serious concern. Failure to form a new state-level Government over a year after elections, the absence of further progress on the EU or NATO accession reform agenda (as highlighted by the European Commission's Annual Progress Report in October), continued nationalist rhetoric and a poor economic situation are of particular concern.
	We cannot exclude the possibility that mounting political challenges might impact on the security situation. We will continue to monitor this. We remain resolutely committed to Bosnia and Herzegovina as a sovereign, stable country with functioning state level institutions, irreversibly on the path to EU and NATO membership. We continue to work on the ground in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the International Community, to promote stability and security. In this context the executive mandates of the EU-led peacekeeping mission, EUFOR Althea, and the High Representative remain important safeguards. We look forward to the renewal, for another year, of the executive mandate for EUFOR Althea, by the United Nations Security Council on 16 November.

British Overseas Territories: Biodiversity

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Overseas Territories White Paper will include a target to halt overall loss of biodiversity by 2020 in all British Overseas Territories.

Henry Bellingham: The White Paper on the Overseas Territories will be published in 2012. It is too early to comment on what will be included.

Central America

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials of his Department are stationed in countries of the System of Central American Integration.

Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has approximately 85 staff based in the countries of the System of Central American Integration. This number will rise to approximately 95 as part of the network shift towards Latin America announced to Parliament by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in April. This includes staffing of the new embassy in San Salvador which will open next year. These numbers include UK-based civil servants and staff employed locally. For operational and security reasons, we cannot provide a more detailed breakdown.

Central America: Storms

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department is giving to British nationals adversely affected by the recent tropical depression in Central America.

Jeremy Browne: We changed our travel advice to warn British nationals of the floods and heavy rains resulting from the tropical depression. Our regional consular team was on stand-by and we issued warnings through our warden network in affected countries.

China: Elections

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Chinese Government on its recent actions against independent political activists wishing to stand in local level National People's Congress elections.

Jeremy Browne: We are aware of reports that a number of independent candidates have been unable to stand in local level elections in China. Ministers regularly make the case to their Chinese counterparts that political reform is in China's interests. As the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Command Paper on Human Rights and Democracy sets out: societies that enjoy genuinely participatory democracy are more likely to be secure and prosperous in the longer term, as democratic development alleviates poverty, reduces corruption and creates the conditions to sustain economic growth.
	As the Prime Minister has said, democracy is a process, not an event. We recognise that countries develop at different paces and our support will need to be specific to the context. And important though elections are, participatory government is about much more than the simple act of voting. Democracy has to be built from the grassroots up. The building blocks have to be laid, like the independence of the judiciary, the rights of individuals, free media and free association. The Government are committed to engaging with China on these issues.

Cluster Munitions: International Co-operation

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to (a) strengthen the Convention on Cluster Munitions and (b) encourage other countries to eliminate the use of cluster munitions.

Alistair Burt: The UK is committed to ridding the world of all cluster munitions. We believe the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) is crucial to achieving that goal.
	As a former user and producer country, and militarily active state which has given up cluster munitions, we have a positive story to tell. We have shared our experience of giving up and systematically destroying our stockpile of cluster munitions with other countries and been active in promoting the universalisation of the CCM in relevant bilateral meetings and in multilateral fora. In October, the UK hosted, in partnership with Non Governmental Organisations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, a universalisation workshop for Commonwealth countries opened by the Minister of State, my right hon. and noble Friend the Lord Howell of Guildford.
	We will continue to use all appropriate bilateral and multilateral opportunities to press for countries to join the CCM and give up cluster munitions.

Departmental Assets

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2011, Official Report, column 69W, on departmental assets, if he will list each such completed project; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: The completed projects consist of necessary security and safety improvements, the refurbishment of existing facilities and other measures to lower the running costs of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and/or to improve our frontline capability and diplomatic presence.
	These include:
	Infrastructure at a compound in Marjah;
	The purchase of land and the building costs for a new embassy and residence in Tbilisi;
	Purchase of a new residence in Warsaw;
	Purchase of the residence in Zagreb;
	The installation of new boilers in the UK;
	Upgrading our computer and communications facilities in our global network of nearly 270 posts including the rollout of video conferencing facilities and improving the ability of our staff to work remotely.
	The majority of capital projects were funded by selling surplus properties within the FCO estate. Details of projects with higher classification are not disclosed in the interests of national security.

Economic and Monetary Union

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received of the implications of the proposed European Stability Mechanism for (a) the rule of law in and (b) standards of democratic accountability in the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government receive representations on many issues from a range of stakeholders, but it is not the Government’s practice to disclose details of all such representations.
	The European Stability Mechanism will be established on an intergovernmental basis between the 17 euro area countries; the UK will therefore neither participate in, nor contribute to, the mechanism.
	It is in Britain’s interests that we have a strong and stable euro area—more than 40% of our exports are to the euro area. We want the euro to be a success, and so we support the euro area's intention to put in place a permanent mechanism to deal with sovereign debt issues.

Foreign Relations

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what procedure is in place to notify him of meetings between other Cabinet Ministers and representatives of foreign governments.

David Lidington: Ministers meet representatives of foreign governments in the normal course of business and travel in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Kenya: Kidnapping

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what communications he has had with the Kenyan government and the transitional federal government of Somalia relating to the kidnapping of Judith Tebbutt and the death of her husband.

Henry Bellingham: In ongoing hostage cases, it is our policy when lives may be at risk not to discuss operational details such as the degree of co-operation with other states. More generally, the British high commission is discussing with the Kenyan Government ways in which security can be improved at the coast following recent attacks and the Metropolitan police has supported the Kenyan investigation into David Tebbutt's murder.

Libya: Human Rights

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Libyan Transitional National Council on the safety and security of sub-Saharan African nationals in Libya.

Alistair Burt: During his visit to Libya last month, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised concerns about reports of human rights abuses committed by Free Libya Forces including the recent reporting by Amnesty International on the treatment of detainees, in particular sub-Saharan Africans. The Chairman of the National Transitional Council (NTC) assured him that they were taking action to meet Libya's international human rights obligations and had already begun investigations into these reports. The new Prime Minister, Abdurrahim al-Kib, reiterated the NTC's commitments in this respect the day after taking office. We will continue to raise the issue of minority rights with the NTC and the Transitional Government when formed.

Nicaragua

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to visit Nicaragua.

Jeremy Browne: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no immediate plans to travel to Nicaragua. I will be visiting Central America within the next year, but the specific details are not yet finalised.

Nicaragua: Storms

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Nicaragua on the recent tropical depression affecting that country.

Jeremy Browne: We have not discussed the matter with the Nicaraguan Foreign Minister directly. However, I issued two statements last month expressing sympathy and support for countries affected by the tropical depression and have also passed this message to ambassadors in the United Kingdom. Our non-resident ambassador to Nicaragua discussed the tropical storm with its Government when he visited last week.

Somalia: Armed Conflict

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the humanitarian effect of the recent Kenyan military incursion into Somalia; and what steps he is taking to urge parties involved in the conflict to respect international humanitarian law.

Henry Bellingham: UN High Commissioner for Refugees reported on 4 November that fewer refugees are arriving at Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya due to the rains and to insecurity in the Kenya-Somalia border area. While we support Kenya's intervention, we have urged Kenya to continue allowing refugees in from Somalia, and not to forcibly return refugees from Somalia over the border. We have also stressed that the intervention should not impede humanitarian operations and should comply with international law. We will work with Kenya, the Somali Transitional Federal Government, the EU and other organisations to ensure that any action is consolidated by stabilisation and the development of credible, accountable governance structures.

Sudan: Foreign Investment

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings his Department has had with (a) external organisations and (b) commercial companies on investment in Sudan.

Henry Bellingham: UK officials provide advice on investment in Sudan to interested British companies on the same basis as for any other country. No central record of contacts is maintained.

Tony Buckingham

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates Tony Buckingham visited his Department since April 2010.

David Lidington: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones) on 8 November 2011, Official Report, column 157W.

Turkey: EU Enlargement

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the issue of Turkish recognition of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 will be a consideration in the Government's policy in respect of the application by Turkey for membership of the EU; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: The EU Accession Negotiating Framework of 2005 requires Turkey's unequivocal commitment to good neighbourly relations with all its neighbours. The European Commission's 2011 Progress Report on Turkey's accession to the European Union concluded that no progress had been made in the past year in the normalisation of relations with Armenia.
	Her Majesty's Government continue to encourage the normalisation of relations between Turkey and Armenia to improve the stability and security of the region and open up wider trade opportunities for the benefit of both countries and wider Europe.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Prosecutions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) arrests and (b) criminal prosecutions have been initiated by the Turks and Caicos Islands’ Special Investigation and Prosecution Team.

Henry Bellingham: The Special Investigation and Prosecution Team continues to conduct itself in line with UK police and prosecution best practice. Until such time as persons are brought before a court, no information will be volunteered about any arrests or charges.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Prosecutions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the (a) status and (b) progress of proceedings by the Turks and Caicos Islands Special Prosecutor against Mr Michael Misick.

Henry Bellingham: I receive regular reports on the progress of the work of the Special Investigation and Prosecution Team in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Prosecutions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost to the public purse in (a) the Turks and Caicos Islands and (b) the UK has been of the Turks and Caicos Special Investigations and Prosecution Team in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.

Henry Bellingham: In 2009-10 the start-up costs of approximately £660,000 were funded by the UK.
	The 2010-11 costs (US$4.6 million) were funded from a discretionary UK grant of £6.6 million to the Turks and Caicos Islands Government which covered the cost of the Special Investigation and Prosecution Team; civil recovery work; and the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police.
	For 2011-12 the Turks and Caicos Islands Government budget for the Special Investigation and Prosecution Team is US$6 million.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Prosecutions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost has been of the civil recovery activities of the (a) solicitors and (b) counsel appointed by the Turks and Caicos Islands Government in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11, and (iii) 2011-12 to date.

Henry Bellingham: In the financial year 2010-11 the Turks and Caicos Islands Government (TCIG) spent US$4.2 million on the civil recovery programme including for four months work done after the commencement of the programme in December 2009 but not paid until the 2010-11 financial year. In the financial year 2011-12, TCIG has budgeted to spend US$4.2 million on the civil recovery programme. Information on a breakdown of costs between solicitors, counsel, third party experts and disbursements is not readily available.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Prosecutions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the (a) status and (b) progress of the civil recovery programme in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Henry Bellingham: The civil recovery team recently announced that they had made 29 separate recoveries of land and/or cash amounts. Almost 900 acres of land have so far been returned to the Crown. The value of the land recovered so far is many tens of millions of dollars. By the end of the programme, the team expects to have recovered land worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
	The team expects to continue to be busy over the next 12 to 18 months. Trials are likely to take place on all the major cases within this timeframe. Appeals may extend this time frame but the team is doing everything it can to move cases along as quickly as possible.

Yemen

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he (a) has taken and (b) is planning to take to implement the priorities for his Department set out in the Building Stability Overseas Strategy in Yemen.

Alistair Burt: The principles of the Building Stability Overseas Strategy underpin the UK Government's response to Yemen's manifold challenges. The three lead Departments, the Department for International Development (DFID), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence, have for some time worked closely together to deliver an integrated and coherent cross-Government approach. Our strategy has focused on degrading al-Qaeda in the Arabian peninsula to the point where they no longer pose a strategic threat, and halting Yemen's decline into state failure by reducing conflict and grievances and increasing the capacity of the state.
	The current security situation in Yemen has unfortunately meant that we have had to reduce significantly the number of staff we have in country to deliver our strategy, and to suspend or reduce a number of key programmes.
	Since the escalation of internal conflict the immediate central objective of UK policy to Yemen is to secure a peaceful and orderly political transition on the basis of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) Initiative. The international community support this policy and this is reflected in the UN Security Council Resolution 2014, unanimously adopted on 21 October. We are working closely with the GCC, EU, US and UN to press all sides to reach an agreement on transition.
	Our cross-Government conflict management programmes aim to strengthen popular participation in the political process, to bridge the gap between governed and the governing elite. The programme focuses on tribal and community structures, professionalising security and justice services, refugee and host community conflict reduction, water related conflict issues and election related violence. We also continue to provide training for a very small number of Yemeni officers on key courses in the UK. This training supports the third pillar of the Building Stability Overseas Strategy in helping to build legitimate institutions; and includes elements which enhance an individual's understanding of the control and employment of security forces in accordance with the rule of law.
	We are gravely concerned with the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yemen. Through DFID, and supported by diplomatic efforts in Sana'a, the UK Government are providing £15.4 million in humanitarian support in 2011-12 to meet immediate humanitarian needs in accordance with our strategy.
	DFID is also continuing to deliver development assistance to Yemen to support poor and vulnerable Yemenis, principally through on-going support to the Yemeni Social Fund for Development which secures the delivery of essential basic services such as health, education and water.
	Future engagement in support of the Building Stability Overseas Strategy will be dependent on the political and security situation in Yemen. The Government hope to be able to provide support to strengthen the resilience of the Yemeni economy and help Yemeni civil society to engage in the political process, assist in the development of legitimate institutions and enhance local governance, in order to increase Yemen's ability to manage tensions and shocks and hence reduce instability and conflict in the future.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Building Regulations

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to announce the results of his review of Part P of the building regulations.

Andrew Stunell: We plan to publish the consultation document on the review of Part P of the building regulations in December, with a three month deadline for receipt of responses. Having considered the responses, we would aim to lay amended regulations and publish revised Approved Document P guidance by October 2012.

Building Regulations: Water Supply

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for minimum water efficiency standards in future revisions of the Building Regulations.

Andrew Stunell: I currently have no plans to change the 125 litres/person/day water efficiency requirement for new dwellings, which only came into force in the Building Regulations in April 2010.

Domestic Waste: Waste Collection

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government from which budget the £250 million of funding identified to support councils to deliver weekly collections of household waste was allocated; and how such funding will be phased over the next three years.

Bob Neill: The Weekly Collection Support Scheme, announced on 30 September 2011, will make up to £250 million available to English local authorities to help them deliver weekly collections of household waste. DCLG is funding the scheme from unallocated resources, as reported in the annual report and accounts for 2010-11. We intend to make a statement giving further details about the scheme soon, ahead of publishing the full bidding guidance in the new year.

Economic Growth: Liverpool

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take following the publication of the report on growth opportunities in Liverpool.

Greg Clark: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 14 November 2011, PQ 78743.

Energy Performance Certificates: Holiday Accommodation

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether holiday lets are exempt from the need to have energy performance certificates when they are rented out (a) for less than a cumulative period of four months within a 12 month period and (b) through a licensing arrangement where the holidaymaker does not have exclusive use of the property during the period for their booking.

Grant Shapps: holding answer 10 November 2011
	Following the Westminster Hall debate initiated by my hon. Friend, 14 June 2011, Official Report, column 230WH, Ministers have reviewed the implementation of the legislation to see if unnecessary regulations on holiday lets could be removed. This has taken place under the auspices of the Government's Red Tape Challenge.
	We have listened carefully to the concerns raised by hon. Members and the tourism industry and have concluded that an energy performance certificate should not be required for a holiday let where:
	the property is rented out for less than four months in a year; or
	it is let under a licence to occupy—regardless of the amount of time it is occupied.
	A licence to occupy is an arrangement where the holidaymaker does not have exclusive use of the property; for example, where the property owner or their representative has the right to access the premises during the period of the booking.
	My Department will be publishing detailed guidance on this issue shortly. We will also be making appropriate amendments to the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations.

Enterprise Zones: Scotland

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on establishing enterprise zones in Scotland.

Greg Clark: As enterprise zones are an England-only policy, no relevant discussions have taken place between my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the Scottish Government. However, Ministers from DCLG regularly meet colleagues from the Scotland Office to discuss a range of matters.

Fair Communities Scheme

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much and what proportion of the funding for the Fair Communities scheme has been spent since the start of the comprehensive spending review period.

Bob Neill: Ministers will make an announcement in due course on the Government's integration policy and on the Fair Communities programme.

Fire Services: Finance

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to notify fire authorities of their budget allocation for 2013-15.

Bob Neill: The Government set out consultation proposals this summer for changes to the funding of local authorities, including fire and rescue authorities. We are considering responses to the consultation and anticipate introducing the new funding arrangements from April 2013.
	During 2012 we will work with the sector on how to set the baseline for the business rates retention system before consulting formally in summer 2012.
	We expect to announce the settlement for local authorities for 2013-14 and the provisional one for 2014-15 at around the same time frame as is usual for the start of a multi-year settlement. Statutory consultation on the 2013-14 settlement will start around late November/early December 2012. Ministers will then take final decisions on the allocations and these will be announced in mid to late January 2013.

Homelessness: Ex-servicemen

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of former armed service personnel who became homeless in each of the last 10 years.

Grant Shapps: Information about local authorities' discharge of their duties under homelessness legislation is collected on quarterly PIE returns.
	Information is collected on the number of households accepted as being statutory homeless whose main reason for loss of last settled home was having left the armed forces. This will not include households containing people who have previously been in the armed forces but were made homeless for other reasons. This information was first collected in 2005-06 and is given as follows:
	
		
			 Households with reason of last settled home being having left the armed forces 
			  Number 
			 2005-06 270 
			 2006-07 200 
			 2007-08 220 
			 2008-09 160 
			 2009-10 120 
			 2010-11 150 
			 Note: Figures are rounded to nearest 10 households. Source: PIE returns 
		
	
	Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected at local authority level, and a summary is published by the Department in the quarterly Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness, available both in the Library of the House and via the DCLG website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/
	Breakdowns on whether other homeless people were formerly armed forces personnel are not available, eg rough sleepers.
	Preventing and tackling homelessness amongst veterans has been one of the priorities of my Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness. The group's first report “Vision to end rough sleeping: No Second Night Out nationwide” published on 6 July, sets out the Government's intention to roll out “No Second Night Out” nationally, the approach being taken by the Mayor of London to quickly identify new rough sleepers and includes a number of commitments to support ex-service personnel. We will continue to work with the Mayor to deliver No Second Night Out in London and to roll out the principles of No Second Night Out nationally. We have already provided an additional £20 million to Homeless Link for a new Homelessness Transition Fund to help delivery.
	I intend to write to hon. Members shortly to draw their attention to what we are doing for the armed forces, and will place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.

Housing: Construction

Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to encourage parish councils to seek support from outside agencies to help deliver local housing projects.

Andrew Stunell: Parish councils are not responsible for the delivery of housing projects. However, our neighbourhood planning proposals will give parish councils a greater say in the future of their area, including where they think new houses and other development should go.
	The provisions in the Localism Bill include a duty for local planning authorities to provide advice and support to parishes or neighbourhood forums preparing neighbourhood planning proposals. We have also committed £3.2 million for funding four support organisations (Royal Town and Planning Institute, Locality, Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment and National Association of Local Councils/Campaign to Protect Rural England) to provide independent advice for communities on planning.

Local Enterprise Partnerships: Wiltshire

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the level of inward investment to Swindon arising from the creation of the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

Greg Clark: The Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership is at an early stage of development, with board members currently being recruited, to be in place by January. The partnership has identified investment as one of its three core priority programme areas and set out in its proposal that it will ‘establish a rapid response capacity across the area that will work in partnership with UK Trade and Industry to attract and retain inward investment’. I am therefore confident that, when the board is established, it will make an important contribution to increasing inward investment in Swindon and Wiltshire.

Local Government

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what basis his Department's new Communities and Local Government localities have been determined; and how many people live in each locality.

Greg Clark: The Department for Communities and Local Government's new approach to working with local areas reflects feedback from local authorities and partnerships about the type of engagement they want from the Department. Our structure of 14 areas is principally based on Local Enterprise Partnership and Homes and Communities Agency geography.
	The following table shows the local authorities that fall within and the estimated population for each locality:
	
		
			 Constituent local authorities of the 14 areas Mid-2010 population estimate (thousand) 
			 Bolton, Bury, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Sefton, St Helens, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Warrington, Wigan, Wirral 4,992 
			   
			 Cumbria, Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool 1,944 
			   
			 County Durham, Darlington, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Redcar and Cleveland, South Tyneside, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland 2,607 
			   
			 Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Doncaster, East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, Kirklees, Leeds, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire, Rotherham, Sheffield, Wakefield, York 5,301 
			   
			 Coventry, Derby, Derbyshire, Leicester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire 4,607 
			   
			 Birmingham, Dudley, Herefordshire, Sandwell, Shropshire, Solihull, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford and Wrekin, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire, Staffordshire 4,604 
			   
			 Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire 1,544 
		
	
	
		
			 East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend-on-Sea, Thurrock, Camden, City of London, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark, Wandsworth, Westminster, Tower Hamlets 6,556 
			   
			 Norfolk, Suffolk 1,582 
			   
			 Surrey, Brighton and Hove, West Sussex 2,186 
			   
			 Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Peterborough, Buckinghamshire, Rutland 2,434 
			   
			 Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, North Somerset, Devon, Plymouth, Torbay, Cornwall, Isles of Scilly 4,546 
			   
			 Wiltshire, Swindon, West Berkshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Dorset, Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Portsmouth, Reading, Slough, Southampton, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham, Poole 4,126 
			   
			 Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Sutton, Waltham Forest 5,207 
			 Note: The figures in the table are rounded to the nearest thousand and are totals of local authority figures rounded to the nearest 100 population. Source: Mid-2010 population estimates, Office for National Statistics

Local Government: Databases

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what data on (a) renewable energy, (b) greenhouse gas emissions, (c) air quality and (d) conservation and biodiversity local authorities are required to submit to his Department under the Single Data List;
	(2)  what data on (a) air quality, (b) renewable energy and (c) greenhouse gas emissions local authorities are required to submit under the Single Data List.

Bob Neill: Local authorities submit data on greenhouse gas emissions from their own estate and operations to the Department of Energy and Climate Change on an annual basis.
	Local authorities submit data annually to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the proportion of local sites where positive biodiversity conservation management is being achieved.
	Both of these data collections are recorded on the Single Data List. There is no need for local authorities to also report these data to the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Local Government: Pensions

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the proportion of members of the local government pension schemes who are (a) part-time, (b) full-time, (c) male, (d) female, (e) active members and (f) deferred members/pensioners.

Bob Neill: At the end of March 2011, there were 1,633,000 (39%) active members in the Local Government Pension Scheme in England. At the same date there were 1,187,000 (29%) pensioners and 1,326,000 (32%) former members who are entitled to deferred benefits.
	Data are not available broken down by gender or employment status.
	This information was published on 12 October 2011 in Table 3 in a statistical release “Local Government Pension Scheme Funds England 2010-11” that is available on the Department for Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/local regional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/pensionscheme/
	The data are as supplied to DCLG by the 81 local government pension scheme administering authorities in England on the annual “SF3 Local Government Pension Funds” forms.

Mayors: Liverpool

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has considered giving a wider regional role to any directly elected Mayor for Liverpool.

Bob Neill: While we recognise that a city led by a directly elected mayor will be well placed to contribute to the economic growth and success of the wider locality, our commitment is to create, subject to confirmatory referendums, directly elected mayors in the largest English cities, including Liverpool.

Multiple Occupation

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with landlord organisations on the effect on article 4 directions specific to houses in multiple occupation on the availability of places available for rent under proposed changes to the single room rate; [R]
	(2)  whether his Department has carried out an impact assessment on the effect of the introduction of article 4 directions specific to houses in multiple occupation on the availability of rooms suitable for the proposed new single room rate. [R]

Grant Shapps: The blanket requirement for planning permission for houses in multiple occupation included at the tail end of the last Administration imposed a significant regulatory cost on the private rented sector.
	The Government have streamlined these planning requirements, allowing councils to control the number of new houses in multiple occupation via article 4 directions allowing for targeted action in communities where the cumulative impact of such dwellings harms local amenity; this approach will avoid the blanket over-regulation of the whole private rented sector.
	The impact assessment produced in September 2010 (DCLG, Houses in multiple Occupation—changes to planning legislation) estimates that this Government's reforms will deliver a net benefit worth £104 million.
	By contrast, the impact assessment produced under the last Administration on their planning changes, warned of a “potential reduction in supply of this type of low cost accommodation and therefore potential for rents to increase if there is a reduction in supply” (CLG, Introducing a definition of houses in multiple occupation into the Use Classes Order: Impact Assessment, March 2010, p.8).
	In this context, compared to the status quo, this Government's changes will increase the availability of low-cost accommodation for rent.

Planning Permission

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what weight he will place on the representations from the Environment Agency on the National Planning Policy Framework in (a) general and (b) relation to inappropriate developments on floodplains; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Clark: The Government take the issue of flood risk very seriously and the policies set out in the draft National Planning Policy Framework aim to avoid inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding.
	We will give careful consideration to the response from the Environment Agency alongside the others we have received on the draft National Planning Policy Framework to inform our final decisions and we will publish a summary of responses to the consultation in due course.

Planning Permission

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to publish (a) the summary of consultation responses and (b) his response to the consultation on the draft National Planning Policy Framework.

Greg Clark: The 12 week consultation period on the draft National Planning Policy Framework closed on 17 October. We are now carefully considering all of the submissions that have been made. Having fully considered the suggestions made, we will then publish the revised text taking into account representations that have been made and a summary of responses to the consultation. The Government are committed to the publication of this final version of the Framework by 31 March 2012.

Planning Permission

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will propose amendments to the Localism Bill to introduce a third party right of appeal in the planning system.

Greg Clark: I refer the hon. Member to the answers he was given on this issue on 17 January 2011, Official Report, column 537W, and 29 November 2010, Official Report, column 480W.

Planning Permission

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions his Department has had with leaders of local authorities on the implications of the draft National Planning Policy Framework.

Greg Clark: Ministers and officials have been meeting with a wide range of organisations on the draft National Planning Policy Framework, including leaders of local authorities. The Local Government Association and individual authorities have made submissions to the consultation.

Planning Permission

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when his Department plans to publish its response to the draft National Planning Policy Framework Consultation.

Greg Clark: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond Park (Zac Goldsmith) today (PQ 78936).

Planning Permission

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many responses his Department received to its consultation on the draft National Planning Policy Framework.

Greg Clark: We have received over 14,000 responses to the consultation on the draft National Planning Policy Framework.
	By way of comparison, the 2007 Planning White Paper generated over 32,000 responses, and the south-east plan, 7,000.

Planning Permission

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the effect of the draft National Planning Policy Framework on business and industry.

Greg Clark: holding answer 10 November 2011
	Ministers in the Department for Communities and Local Government meet regularly with Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to discuss a range of matters.
	Information on the anticipated effect of the draft National Planning Policy Framework on business and industry is set out within the Consultation Stage Impact Assessment.

Planning Permission

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he made of the number of residents interested in producing local and neighbourhood plans prior to the publication of the draft National Planning Policy Framework.

Greg Clark: We have launched the neighbourhood planning front runner programme, which currently has 126 projects under way, with communities working closely with local councils on the future of their area. We have recently received more than 100 applications to join the next wave of front runners.

Planning Permission

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he made of the average cost of producing a local and neighbourhood plan.

Greg Clark: An impact assessment for neighbourhood plans and community right to build was published on 31 January 2011 and can be found on the Department's website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/localgovernment/pdf/1829678.pdf

Planning: Biodiversity

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by what means his Department plans to monitor the use by local authorities of the planning system to protect biodiversity.

Bob Neill: We are removing the need for local authorities to submit annual monitoring reports on their local plans to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The future emphasis will be on reporting progress on local plans to local people in the interests of local transparency and accountability. In the consultation draft of the National Planning Policy Framework we proposed that planning policies should identify suitable indicators for monitoring biodiversity. Nationally, the Government's proposals for monitoring biodiversity are explained in the Natural Environment White Paper and include periodically publishing a single, concise and integrated report about the state of the environment on land.

Property Development

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on owners who have undertaken unauthorised developments to a property then carrying out permitted developments on that property.

Bob Neill: Local councils have a range of discretionary enforcement powers to rectify breaches of planning control. Many permitted development rights, including those for dwelling houses, enable certain types of development to be undertaken with reference to the ‘original building’. Unlawful works would not count as part of the ‘original building’, and permitted development rights may therefore not apply. Local councils are also able to withdraw permitted development rights in response to local circumstances.

Regeneration: Liverpool

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on funding (a) all or (b) some of the projects included in the regeneration strategy for the Liverpool City Region published by Lord Heseltine and Sir Terry Leahy; and what projects in the report his Department plans to fund.

Greg Clark: My right hon. and noble Friend Lord Heseltine's and Sir Terry Leahy's report into the economic opportunities for Liverpool is an independent report and not intended to be bound by established Government policy. The issues raised by the report will be considered in the context of the work the Minister with responsibility for cities is undertaking as part of his work with the eight core cities, to help them maximise their growth potential.

Regeneration: Liverpool

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total cost is of the projects contained in the regeneration strategy for the Liverpool City Region published by Lord Heseltine and Sir Terry Leahy.

Greg Clark: My right hon. and noble Friend Lord Heseltine's and Sir Terry Leahy's independent report into the economic opportunities for Liverpool is not a Government report and so no Government costing has been made of the proposals it contains.

Social Rented Housing

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of houses that have been approved for development through the planning system but have not as yet been built in each local authority area.

Andrew Stunell: The number of dwellings where permission has been granted but where development has not yet started as at 30 September 2011 is estimated at 255,670 units. A table giving the breakdown by local authority has been deposited in the Library of the House. This information is collected by Glenigan on behalf of the Homes and Communities Agency. These outstanding planning permissions amount to just over one year's projected average annual household growth (232,000 household per annum until 2033).

Sustainable Development

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what definition of sustainable development his Department uses.

Bob Neill: The classic definition of sustainable definition, set out by the Brundtland Commission, is development that meets the needs of the present without comprising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This is reflected in the Government's vision for sustainable development published in February 2011 and by this Department in its work including the consultation draft of the National Planning Policy Framework.